A Loose End
by Zeria
Summary: When a strange woman appears on the doorsteps of Halliwell Manor, a loose end is discovered that links future Chris to the past in more ways than one.
1. Unexpected News

The Loose End

Chapter 1

**Unexpected News**

A young woman in her early twenties clad in a lovely long denom skirt, black tank top, and brown leather boots stood anxiously outside an old Victorian Manor. She nervously pushed back her long black bangs, tucking them behind her ear. She took a deep breath and poised her hand to knock on the rich looking oak door. She shook her head muttering to herself as she lowered her hand. Turning from the door, she nearly ran into a petite woman who was digging in her purse for something.

"Oh, so very sorry. Didn't see you there." The stranger replied in her smooth english accent.

"Uh, no problem. It was partially my fault. Should've paid more attention to walking instead of looking for my cell phone."

The foreigner nodded to herself as the woman stared at her. She felt like such a fool. She should never have come here. It was just one more mistake on a very big pile of mistakes. She didn't know these people, and they didn't know her. Besides, there was a very real chance that they couldn't help her. Or wouldn't. Especially considering she had no idea what their connection to _him_ was. The young woman shook her head as she heard the other speak. What had been said? "Beg your pardon?"

"I asked if you were looking for someone."

Wondering for a moment if she should even go on with her quest to find him, the stranger sighed. "I don't suppose you might know where I may find a Ms. Piper Halliwell? I was told she might be able to help me locate a," she hesitated unsure of the right word to use, "an aquaintance of mine."

"Well, Piper isn't home right now, but I'm her sister, Pheobe Halliwell. Maybe if you told me who you were looking for I would know where you could find him or her."

Pausing to consider this for a moment, the young woman nodded. "All right then. His name is Chris...Perry? Yes, that's it. Chris Perry. Do you know where I might be able to contact him?"

Pheobe's face fell as she heard the name of the person the young lady was searching for. She wasn't sure what to say. The only Chris they had in their home right now was just a baby. This stranger was speaking about the adult Chris that had come from the future in order to save his older brother from becoming an evil dicatator of the world. He had died in the process. However, she could hardly tell this stranger all that. She would never believe it. Pheobe herself could hardly believe it at times. "Chris? Uh...well, he...uh...he's not here...can I maybe take a message?" She asked in an attempt to stall until she could consult her sisters on what to do about this stranger asking for her nephew.

"Oh, no." The black haired woman shook her head slowly. "I don't suppose he would remember me, so it really was quite pointless to come here in the first place. I apologize for being a bother."

Just as the strange woman turned to leave, Pheobe reached out to touch her arm in an attempt to give her at least some sort of explanation as to Chris' whereabouts...even a lie was better than leaving this strange woman completely empty handed. She seemed so scared...maybe she was some innocent Chris had saved at some point? This thought vanished from her mind as a series of images flashed before her mind's eye in the form of a vision.

_The young woman was being pressed against a wall by a young man who was kissing her neck while attempting to unbutton her blouse. She had her hands in his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist. A moan escaped her lips as his hot kisses began to move down her neck to her upper chest. Her shirt fell to the floor. His soon followed._

_It was then that the man set her down for a moment, only to swipe a pile of papers and supplies off a desk in what appeared to be a small office...it looked like the one in P3... Returning to their passionate kisses the man lifted the stranger onto the desk. When he turned to do this Pheobe was able to see who the man was. The man was Chris._

A flash of white appeared before another scene began.

_The stranger was seated in a doctor's office shaking like a leaf as a kindly old doctor entered the room with a piece of paper clipped to a board. "Congratulations, Ms. Cramer."_

"_Beg pardon?"_

"_You're pregnant."_

When the vision ended Pheobe gasped in shock, her eyes flying open. The young woman was looking at her with concern in her sky blue eyes. Ms. Cramer, as the doctor had referred to her, held the young witch's arm lightly as though afraid she would fall over. Pheobe could hear the woman talking to her, but the only thing she could think of was her vision, and what it implied. She tried to form a sentence but only ended up stuttering incoherently.

"Ms. Halliwell? Ms. Halliwell, are you quite all right?"

"Pregnant...with Chris' baby...oh god." Pheobe muttered in shock.

The woman jerked backward as though slapped in the face. Her hand fell from Phoebe's shoulder. She shook her head, swallowing. "How...?"

The Charmed One's hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she had said. Her chocolate brown eyes grew wide in suprise at her slip up. "Oh, I...uh...you...just a gift I have I guess..."

Nodding her head, a little unsure about Phoebe's answer, Ms. Cramer swallowed hard. "Please, just tell Chris that Anne Cramer was looking for him." She pulled out a slip of paper from the small brown leather purse that was slung over her shoulder. Handing it to Pheobe she let out a nervous breath. "He may not remember me...just tell him to call the number. If he inquires as to why please do not tell him. I feel it is my responsibility to break the news to him. Could you do that for me? Please?"

Before Pheobe could answer one way or another, Anne bolted away toward her car, a Plymouth Breeze parked right in front of the Manor. She slipped through the door, started the engine and drove away while Pheobe just stared in shock at the slip of paper in her hand. The only thought coursing through her brain was 'this is bad.'

"Pheobe, there you are. I thought I heard your voice. Who were you talking to?" Piper Halliwell asked, walking out the door of the Manor. When her sister didn't reply, but merely gave a troubled look, the eldest witch frowned folding her arms over her chest. "Ok, what's going on? Please, don't tell me it's another demon. I don't have time for a demon right now. Chris is sick, and Wyatt keeps orbing him away from me because he's jealous of the attention his baby brother is getting, and Leo is off hunting demons _again_. Not to mention the fact that I need to get ready for Savage Garden. I mean, P3 hasn't had a good band for awhile, so I need this to go well. _We_ need this to go well. Income hasn't been doing so hot lately. So, please, tell me it is not a demon."

The younger sister smiled weakly. "Well, it isn't a demon."

"Thank God-"

"-It's a baby."

Piper's brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

"There was a woman here, Anne Cramer. She's having a baby."

"And that's bad why...?"

Pheobe sighed unsure how to break it to her sister that she was going to be a grandma in her early thirties. Piper was going to freak out when she found out that future Chris got a woman from the present pregnant. More than likely a mortal woman at that. Oh, this situation was bad in sooo many ways. Chris' son was only going to be a little less than a year younger than him. That is going to be psychologically traumatic for both parties...

"Pheobe!" Piper snapped, trying to get her sister's attention.

"Well, she...uh...you see-"

A swirl of orbs appeared in Pheobe's arms mid sentence stopping her in her tracks. Baby Chris screamed as he appeared in his aunt's arms, having been orbed by his brother again. His pudgy little baby face was all red as his mother took him from her sister's arms and bounced him gently until his cries ceased. Piper shook her head. "I just don't know what to do with Wyatt. I'm afraid that some day he's going to orb his little brother to Antarctica! I can't bind his powers though. They protect him and Chris from demons...ugh. I wish Leo were here. I can't do this on my own."

"Well, I just hope none of the neighbors saw the orbs. That might be a little hard to explain."

"You think?"

Pheobe offered a half smile as response. "I'm sorry, Sweetie. I know how hard this has been on you."

"Thanks." Piper sighed. "I better get Chris inside. The cool air isn't good for him."

As her older sister turned on her heels to head back into the house, Pheobe followed her closing the door behind her. "Speaking of Chris, we really need to finish our conversation."

"Ok, so talk." Piper replied as she set Chris down in the crib, wrapping him up in another blanket, afraid of him getting too cold. She placed a nuk in his mouth and gently carassed his forhead until his little eyes became droopy, then closed. The nuk jerked in and out as he sucked on it in his sleep. The mother smiled softly, looking at her baby boy with all the love in the world.

Wyatt looked up from his spot on the floor and frowned. Just as he was about to send his brother off again, he noticed his mother turn toward him and sit next to him on the floor. He smiled and handed her a block, wanting her to play with him. She took it and smiled as he handed her another. She stacked one on the other then turned her head to her sister. "Well? What has you so upset if it isn't a demon? Don't tell me your upset because some woman is having a baby. You aren't still on that kick are you?"

Pheobe rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not. That's not why I'm upset-"

"-Hey everybody!" Paige announced as she orbed into the conservatory. Still in her robes from magic school, she lifted her chin up proudly. "Guess who solved her first big problem at the school? Yup, that's right: little ol' me. Paige Matthews, Head Mistress of Magic School, finally proved to the stupid elders that I can handle this. Cool, huh? There was this group of kids and they were all using magic for personal gain, so I-"

"-Anne is pregnant with Chris' baby!"

Paige stopped mid-sentence to turn to her sister. "Pheobe?"

Piper dropped a block that was in her hand, her head whipping around to look at her younger sister. "What did you just say?"

Wyatt clapped as he knocked down his mother's tower of blocks, completely oblivious. When his mother didn't notice his neat trick he tried to get her attention. "Mama!" She didn't respond. "Mama!"

"Uh huh, Wyatt." Piper replied distractedly.

The little boy seemed pleased enough with the attention and went back to playing with his blocks.

"Pheobe, Paige. Kitchen. Now." Piper ordered. Standing up, she flipped on the baby monitor next to the crib, told Wyatt to be good and play nice, then marched into the kitchen where Phoebe and Paige had already headed. Arms folded over her chest, the oldest Charmed One turned an intense gaze on her middle sister. "You better have one heck of an explanation, Missy."

Pheobe gave her sister an apologetic look. "A woman on the front steps was looking for Chris. I told her he wasn't here, and she seemed really upset, so I touched her arm, and I got a vision off her. She and big Chris...uh...you know...and then she was at a doctor's office, and he told her she was pregnant. When I said something, she got a little freaked out, gave me a piece of paper with her number on it then took off."

"Wow, who would have thought Chris had a social life?" Paige said, trying to relieve the tension.

It didn't work. Piper turned to her, glaring at her baby sister. "Paige! This is serious. My son, who at the moment is only three and a half months old, is going to be a father because his futureself came back through time and slept with some woman. How are we supposed to explain to this..."

"-Anne," Pheobe supplied.

"...Anne that not only is the father of her child a witch, but he was from the future and if she wants child support she's going to have to sue a baby?"

Paige nodded. "I see how this is really bad, Piper, but I figure we only have one option. We tell her the truth."

"Are you insane, Paige?"

"What else can we do, Piper?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure there is a better answer than that."

Phoebe raised her hand, hoping to get a word in edge-wise. "Piper, I for one agree with Paige on this. This girl needs to know what she's getting into. Besides, maybe we can help her. You of all people know how hard it is raising magical children. It will be twice as hard for her because she isn't magical herself. She has no way of protecting the baby if demons come after it. She _needs_ us. Your grandchild needs us."

The eldest sister looked between her two siblings unsure. "She's going to think we're nuts, you know."

"We'll make her believe us, Piper." Pheobe assured her.

"Yeah, I mean, we can show her our powers if we have to."

Piper sighed. "Okay, fine. You guys win. So...who's going to call her?"

tbc...if I get enough interest...

p.s. this may be updated randomly cause i'm unbelievably busy, just to warn you...


	2. One Night Stand

Thanks bunches to everyone who reviewed!!!! So excited that almost all of you seemed interested.

I have been informed that this idea has been done before, but A.) I've never read any of those stories, so this is completely my own idea. B.) I've never written on this idea before, and goodness knows my mind doesn't function like a normal person, so the twists will more than likely be VERY different.C.) If you still think it's a bad idea for a story, you don't **have** to read it.

Kay, now on with the story...

CHAPTER 2

**One Night Stand**

Anne Cramer sighed as she threw her purse into the nearest chair then flopped down on her sofa. She put her head in her hands groaning. Of all the ways she imagined her day ending this wasn't one of them. She felt like such an idiot. That woman, Pheobe, had been able to read her like a book. It was still strange to think that she had let her secret slip so easily. She wasn't showing much yet, so how had that woman done it? She was only four months along! Four months...another five and she would have a baby on her hands. If Chris didn't contact her, she'd have to raise a baby on her own. Unless...abortion? No. She couldn't do that. She had made the choice to sleep with a stranger, now she would bear the consequences. Still, she didn't know what she was going to do. There was no way she could raise a child on her own. Anne sighed, deciding that she wouldn't think about it. Not until Chris contacted her. He had a say in what was going to happen after all. Best to just try to take her mind off of the situation for a while.

Grabbing the remote control, she flipped on her television and switched to the news. Apparently someone had been killed. Cheerful stuff as usual it seemed. She sighed and shut off the set. She couldn't take anything depressing right now, and she had a feeling that drama was all she was going to find on the television. She had enough drama in her own life. How had she ended up in such a messed up situation anyway? Some alcohol had been involved, dancing, gorgeous green eyes that looked up at her from a bar stool...

_She had just finished her medical schooling and was out celebrating her success with a few of her best friends from her class. All of them had worked so hard to get where they were, and they just wanted to have a little fun before their internships started at the hospital. _

_Anne was more excited than her friends, mostly because she had been right about moving to America. She knew that her father, a doctor in one of San Fransisco's_ _best hospitals, could get her into a better program than she could have even hoped of getting into back in London with her mum. He had, and now she was well on her way to becoming a doctor. _

_The young woman had taken a huge risk in leaving London behind. She had left the only home she had ever known, friends she had been close with since childhood, and even her love was left behind. Her friends understood, and she still was at least in contact with them by phone and e-mail, but her boyfriend...well, he thought she should stay in London, marry him, then stay at home raising their sons. Needless to say, things hadn't ended well when she told him that wasn't her dream, that her career was more important to her. But, none of that mattered now. She had made the right choice in leaving for the States, and was now reaping in the many rewards. _

_The young doctor-to-be had been dancing the night away without a care in the world, and had intended to keep dancing, then she saw _him._ He was sitting at the bar all by himself nursing a beer. He looked so sad as he stared down at his drink between swigs. His sorrowful appearance was what caught her eye. The club's lights were casting a dark shadow over his face, preventing her from seeing what he looked like. However, he must have felt her looking at him because his head came up and he turned his face toward her. When he did, her life changed forever. Those eyes...haunting jade green eyes that seemed to cry in pain...in loss. Even though it was obvious that he was depressed, the man still forced a small smile to his lips and nodded his head at her just slightly. The gesture caught her by surprise and the next thing she knew, she was walking over to him._

_When she reached him she smiled and extended her hand. "Anne Cramer."_

"_Chris Perry." He replied, his voice much softer than she had imagined it would be._

_She sat on the stool next to his, and turned toward him. "So, you don't look like you are enjoying yourself much. Pity. This place is fabulous."_

"_I'll give the owner your compliments."_

"_You know the owner?"_

_The man nodded. "Yeah." He shook his head, frowning in confusion. "Why are you talking to me? I'm not exactly good company. Drunks usually aren't."_

"_You looked like you needed someone to talk to. Besides, I'll be the judge of whether or not you are a good companion. As for the drunk bit...I somehow don't get the impression that you are intoxicated. Perhaps on the way, though. More than likely because you are miserable."_

_Chris chuckled at that. "Are all the English as blunt as you are?"_

"_No, I must say that I'm an oddity. My father is an American. I suppose I pick up a little of it from him."_

_The man merely nodded again as response, then took another swig from his bottle. When he put it back down he stared at it for a moment, as though he would find the answers to all his problems if only he studied that brown bottle for just a moment longer. After a while his soft voice broke through the music, catching her attention in a way that nothing had before it. "Have you ever thought about your existence? How you became who you are?"_

"_Sometimes. I think everyone thinks about that sometimes."_

"_It's all I can think about lately. How the future is so fragile, and one single decision could change me forever. Turn me into someone I wouldn't recognize in the mirror. Like the real me never even existed. Maybe even erase me all together..."_

_Anne lifted her eyebrows, surprised by the topic choice. Even more suprised at the level of thinking this strange, semi-intoxicated man was capable of. He was a mystery...she had always loved a good mystery growing up. She had always felt an inherent need to solve them. Some things don't change. "I must admit, you have me intrigued. It isn't everyday I meet a man in a bar who chats me up by talking of quantum theory. It is even more interesting coming from a man who thinks himself drunk."_

_Chris turned toward her now, looking at her full on for the first time. After a moment, he frowned slightly as though attempting to study her very thoughts. His gaze un-nerved her. It was so intense. Not just intense, though. It was so many things. Sad, lost, hurt. Most of all she had the strange feeling that those beautiful jade eyes had seen too much. That this stranger knew things he wished he didn't. She was thankful when the gaze softened, and he gave a short, airy chuckle before the corner of his lips turned up just enough for her to notice. He shook his head, causing Anne to wonder for a moment if he was being condescending, or whether he was honestly just amused by something she had said. Her answer came almost as quickly as the thought had entered her mind. "I suppose I am an oddity too in that regard."_

"_What a pair we make then." She replied lightly._

"_Guess so."_

_The med. Student smiled, as she pushed her jet black hair from her face. It was something she did when she was nervous. Why this man made her nervous she didn't know. She imagined it was his intensity. Yet, she had known a great many intense men in her life. Her father was one. With Chris it was something more...something hidden beneath the surface. She supposed he excited her. A handsome stranger sitting in a bar brooding over the meaning of life, who could be extremely intense, yet sad and soft at the same time. She had never met anyone like him. _

"_So, Chris, have you lived in San Fransisco your entire life?"_

"_My whole life and then some."_

_Anne smiled, allowing a small laugh. She nodded her head. "I suppose I've felt that way about London before. I had lived there my whole life before coming here. Sometimes I suppose we all just long for a change."_

"_But what if by making a change, you make life worse?"_

"_Hmm, I suppose I would just try to adapt, and if that didn't work, I'd keep making changes until I made one that worked for me."_

_Chris sighed. "Sometimes the only options we have are bad and worse. Sometimes, the future is bleak no matter what we do to change it. By changing one thing, we might lose everything...lose our lives." He picked up his drink, taking another long gulp. When he put it back down, he glanced back at her. "I warned you I wasn't good company."_

"_If I wasn't enjoying myself to some degree, I wouldn't be sitting here, and I most certainly would not be talking to you." She grinned. "Although, if _I _am annoying _you_, will you be too afraid to make a change and leave the club? By leaving earlier than you planned, you may change your fate and get hit by a car."_

"_You think I'm paranoid."_

"_No, I'm just poking fun at you. Must admit I've never met a man who took quantum theory so seriously."_

"_Yeah, well, it's kinda my life."_

_Anne raised her eyebrows impressed. "You're a scientist?"_

"_Do you want to dance?" _

_The young woman offered him a questioning smile, completely taken off-guard by the abrupt change of subject. After a moment, she collected herself. "You want to dance? I thought you were too busy contemplating your existence to be interested in such trifles. Not to mention the fact that intoxicated men have a tendency to step on my feet..."_

"_You said you didn't think I was drunk. As for my existence...I guess there isn't much I can do about that now. What's done is done. Might as well enjoy myself one last time."_

"_You make it sound as though you are going to die tomorrow."_

_Chris' smile fell. "I just might." Noticing the look she was giving him, he shrugged. "You never know when your time might come." When she continued to frown, he grinned, his jade eyes losing their haunting appearance for the first time. They were enchanting...innocence with a romantic appeal. "Just one dance. I promise I won't step on your feet."_

_Without thinking, Anne stood from her stool, and followed him to the dance floor. At first they danced separate, but in close proximity, nothing special about such a dance. Then he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist...as soon as she felt his hands on her sparks flew. Chemistry was definitely there in spades. Their pelvics touched as they moved to the rhythm of the music, causing an instant heat in her face. She had never been affected like this by any man. The feeling of him against her was so enticing. God, he was a good dancer! In her experience good dancers were usually also good at...oh no. She need to stop that line of thought right now._

"_Not bad for a yank." She replied teasingly, trying to take her mind off of the heat radiating between them._

_He smiled sadly for a moment. "My fiancee taught me."_

"_Oh? You're engaged?"_

"_Was...she died."_

_Their dance ended as the med. Student pulled away, her mouth opening then closing as she realized there was nothing she could say. Anne's heart had constricted at the tone of his voice. She'd never heard so many emotions conveyed with so few words. No wonder he was contemplating existence, talking about how one can never tell when the end is near. He had lost the love of his life. If she had been in his place, she'd be getting drunk too. Instead of trying to comfort him with words, she merely looked into his eyes with her own compassion filled blue pair. Their eyes locked, and understanding passed between them. She did not pity him, but felt for him. He saw this and was grateful._

_The young woman was surprised when his head lowered and his soft lips brushed against hers. His hands slipped behind her head, ending up in her thick black hair. When his tongue asked permission to dance with hers, she allowed it. The doctor-to-be felt such a need in his kisses. They were almost desperate, but too soft to be aggressive. She could imagine that he was so lonely and full of pain that he was seeking for anything to give him comfort. Anne wasn't the type to give strange men that kind of comfort. However, there was something about this stranger that she couldn't say no to. Her instincts had taken over when he had kissed her, and she found herself returning his advances with equal fervor. Things got hot fast. _

_Still, kissing her, the young man led her away from the dance floor, and the two of them practically fell through the door to the back room. Things got blurry after that..._

Anne wiped her eyes as tears began to slip down her lashes. She didn't know how she could have been so stupid. Sleeping with someone she had only known for _ten minutes_! She was lucky she wasn't dying from an STD. She knew better than that! He could have been anyone! What had she been thinking sleeping with a stranger? Still, she couldn't get herself to think badly of him. Sure, he had practically run out of the room when they were done, but maybe, he was ashamed of himself for using her. There was just something in those eyes, in the way he told her about his fiancee having died, and the way he made love to her that told her he had been through more than a man should, that he was different, and that he had never meant to hurt her in anyway. He _hadn't_ hurt her. He had been gentle with her through the passion. Besides, she had wanted him. It wasn't like he had forced himself on her. As for the pregnancy, she was just as much responsible. It did take two to tango after all.

The phone rang startling her out of her thoughts. She sighed as she rose to answer it. The last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone. When she glanced at the caller i.d., she frowned. It read: Halliwell, Piper. Maybe she had contacted Chris. Or maybe he was over there. Was it Chris? Oh, god. What was she going to say? How would he take the news? The phone rang again. She swallowed and picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Anne Cramer?"

"Yes it is."

"This is Piper Halliwell. I need to talk to you about Chris. In person. When are you available?"

Anne frowned. Why would the owner of P3 want to talk to her about Chris? She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right about this. In fact, her gut was screaming that something was very, very wrong. "I'm free at the moment, actually."

"Great, can you possibly meet me in half an hour?"

"Where?"

There was a pause for a moment. "Would you mind coming back to the Manor? I have two young sons, and the nanny is busy."

"Of course, that's not a problem. I'll see you then. Good-bye."

"Bye."

Anne stared at the phone a moment, completely confused as to why Piper Halliwell would want to meet with her. What did the other woman have to tell her about Chris? Where was he? Why wasn't he the one to call her? She had specifically asked that he call her. He needed to know that he was going to be a father. The young lady just couldn't imagine why the owner of the club would need to see her in person. Unless...something had happened to Chris. If she was a friend of his, she would know. Besides, wanting to talk in person always implied bad news. It was so the news could be delivered more gently. What kind of bad news was it? Especially considering he hadn't called her. Oh, no...

"No. He wouldn't...I mean he was upset, but I don't think he was that type of man." Anne rolled her eyes at herself. "God, you'd think I actually knew him the way I talk. I didn't. Maybe he was the type to give up and end his own life. How should I know?"

A tiny voice in her head replied, "You would know because you have a connection with him. A strange, magical connection to a man you had a one night stand with."

Anne closed her eyes pushing the voice aside. She needed a clear head when she talked to Ms. Halliwell. This conversation was possibly going to determine the rest of her life. She needed to be prepared for anything.

**tbc...**


	3. A Complicated Conversation

Big thanks to:

hope master23  
kikistar  
piperleo4eva  
Sparkling Cherries  
Stony Angel  
Cornett  
distorted mind  
phoebe-x15  
Leigh1986  
The Wyatt Halliwell  
wicked wms  
Gomay  
Barbas03  
AND dedicated to my sisters Jessica and Crystal. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

CHAPTER 3

**A Complicated Conversation**

Parking her car outside of the large Victorian Manor, Anne shut off the engine and just sat there for a moment, trying to calm her nerves before she went in. She felt sick to her stomach. She wasn't sure whether it was because she was so nervous, or because of morning sickness. It was probably a bit of both.

The young woman let out a breath and decided that the sooner she went in and talked to Ms. Halliwell, the sooner she could get on with her life, wherever it may lead her. She slowly slipped out of her car, hitting the automatic locks before slamming her door shut. When she turned toward the house, she was more than surprised to find Phoebe standing out on the steps waiting for her. Seeing her there made Anne's fear grow. The news _was_ going to be bad.

Clutching her purse tighter than necessary, Anne tried to calm her nerves with deep, slow breaths as she made her way over to the other woman. Her deep breathing increased her nausea and did nothing to ease her anxiety. She doubted if anything could help except talking to Chris, and figuring out what she was going to do with the rest of her life. There was a chance that talk might not ever happen, though. This was what she was here to find out.

"Hello, Anne, I'm Phoebe. We met earlier, remember?"

"Yes, of course."

Phoebe smiled warmly, then put her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, gently guiding her into the house as they spoke. "Well, Piper is inside. She just put the boys down for a nap, so she'll be down in just a sec. Now, I know you are scared and nervous, but you don't have to be okay? We all just want to help you." She turned to the young woman now, her chocolate brown eyes focused on her sky blue. "You can trust us, Anne."

The younger woman, feeling more than a little uncomfortable, took a step backwards away from Pheobe. While she knew that the other woman was just trying to be friendly and helpful, Anne couldn't help but feel the situation was awkward. She didn't know this woman, yet Phoebe acted as though they were old friends. She forced a smile, that ended up looking a little more like a grimace. "I suppose I don't have a reason not to..."

"Hey, Phoebe, is she here yet?" A young woman with wavy, dark brown hair asked as she came around a corner wearing an orange tube top and a short white skirt with matching white high heels. Upon seeing their guest, the new comer stopped in her tracks. "Oh, she is." She suddenly smiled widely, the expression obviously forced, and extended a hand a little too enthusiastically. "I'm Paige Matthews, nice to meet you, Anne."

"Pleasure as well." Anne replied, feeling her nervousness increase as yet another stranger acted in an overly friendly manner. Had these three women just been discussing her non-stop since she left their home earlier? Who were they to Chris that she had become their best friend just because she was carrying his child? Why were they being so un-naturally friendly? It gave her a new level of dread.

"So, you and Chris...how long was that going on?" Paige asked before promptly getting elbowed in the arm by her sister.

Anne blushed fiercely, but luckily was saved from answering that question for the moment, as Piper came down the stairs. The eldest Charmed One did not portray the same forced friendliness that her sisters did. She seemed more at ease, calm even. Anne was grateful when Piper only gave her a slight, sad smile of sympathy. It was refreshing to see someone acting how they felt instead of putting on a show. The young woman knew that Pheobe and Paige were only trying to make her feel better, but their tactic wasn't working. She much preferred the truth. Piper seemed to understand how serious this situation was and was acting in such a manner. Anne liked the eldest sister immediately.

"I'm Piper Halliwell. You must be Anne."

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Ms. Halliwell."

Piper gestured to the next room. "Why don't we move this into the livingroom. I think it might be just a little more comfortable than standing in the entrance."

Anne followed Phoebe and Paige into the adjacent room and sat rigidly on the sofa in between the two younger sisters, who had almost seemed to consciously surround her, like they were trying to trap her. She swallowed as Phoebe continued to smile so widely that the younger woman could literally see her molers. When she turned to look at Paige, the youngest witch seemed equally peppy. She turned to face forward, unable to stand looking at either of the strange women beside her. Piper had pulled up a chair in front of her. The smile now completely gone on the eldest woman's face. It did not escape Anne's attention that they had now formed a sort of circle around her. She felt her stomach sink as the final thread of hope she had for good news of any kind snapped.

"So, Anne, I suppose you want to know why we called you here, right?" Piper began.

"I believe I know why I'm here. You said he was gone. Since you are family, you figure it is your responsibility to break the bad news to me, right? Well, I think I would prefer to just get it out in the open. Whatever it is you have to tell me about Chris, just be out with it."

Paige sighed, the large smile from earlier disappearing. She seemed less peppy and a lot more impatient. If Anne wanted to stop beating around the bush, Paige was more than willing to go along with that. It had been Phoebe's idea to make nicey-nice anyway. She was sick and tired of wearing that sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "He was a witch."

"Beg pardon?"

Ignoring the glares her sisters were giving her the youngest Charmed One continued, wanting nothing more than to get this conversation going. "Chris is a witch. A good witch, mind you. Like us."

"Are you being serious?"

Paige started to open her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by Piper, who decided to try to be honest but with a bit more tact. "It's true. We are actually witches. I know this is hard to believe. It's still hard for me to believe some days, and I've been at this for almost seven years. It's important that you believe us, though, because it might affect the baby."

Anne frowned as she saw the sincere look on the eldest sister's face. She turned to look at Paige who gave a slight smile and a shrug, then lastly Pheobe who was nodding in agreement. The young woman blinked, not sure what to think of the strange sisters. She shook her head as she attempted to gather her thoughts. "So, you called me over here to tell me Chris practiced Wicca? I have a friend that knows about it. It's a little out of the ordinary, but I don't see why it's such a big deal. I'm very open minded about religion. Besides, why couldn't Chris tell me that?"

Phoebe shook her head, and placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. "That's not what we mean. What we mean is that we have magical abilities. We are real witches."

"We can prove it. Paige, orb."

"Orb?" Anne questioned.

Paige nodded. "Yup. See, I'm half whitelighter and half witch. Whitelighters are angels that watch over witches and other potential whitelighters. They have this transportation thing that is called orbing. Just watch." Suddenly, the woman disappeared in a bright swirl of blue and white lights, only to reappear a few seconds later. "See? Orbing."

Anne jumped up from the sofa, her eyes wide. She shook her head in denial of what her eyes had just seen. This could not be happening. She didn't believe in such things. They didn't really exist. They were fairy tales and the likes. Witches and magic weren't real. They just weren't. Sure people practiced the Wiccan religion, but she had never taken it too seriously. This...she didn't know what to do with this. Her voice was edged with panic, shaking slightly. "Where is Chris? I don't want to see tricks. Please, I just want to see Chris."

The sisters exchanged worried glances. Piper stood up from her chair and tried to grab the woman's arms to calm her down. Anne jerked away. The eldest sister nodded, understanding her panic. If she were to believe them, it would mean a whole world she never knew existed was out there, and it wasn't necessarily a good one. Her child would be part of that, and Piper knew first hand how terrifying that could be. "Anne, I know you're scared, but you have to listen to us. It's important for your safety and the safety of the baby. Chris is a witch and chances are the baby you're carrying is too. Demons will come after you and the child. You need our help, so you have to listen to us."

"No. I don't need to listen to you. What I need is to talk to Chris."

It was at that moment a swirl of bright blue and white lights appeared in Phoebe's arms forming into her youngest nephew. The child was thankfully asleep, and unaware of the fact that his brother had orbed him out of their room again. The middle sister smiled sheepishly. "Well, if you want Chris, here he is."

Anne stared at the child for a moment, shock causing her brain function to slow dramatically. No thoughts entered her mind. She could only look at the child that had appeared out of thin air in the same manner that his aunt had earlier. There was no explanation. Her years of science education failed her. Nothing could help her come up with a theory on how a person could disappear and reappear. She had seen it twice now. There was no denying that it happened anymore. It was magic. She felt her breakfast rising as an anxiety attack hit. Her knees gave out and she fell back onto the couch, her eyes never leaving the child. Wait. Had Phoebe just said that the baby was Chris? Still in shock, all she could manage to utter was: "That's a baby. Chris is a man."

"Chris, the Chris you met, was from the future. He came back through time using a spell in order to save the world. Wyatt, his older brother, is extremely powerful, and was turned evil in his timeline, took over the world, destroyed cities and killed millions. Chris came back to stop that from happening. The Chris you know isn't here anymore. He..." Piper paused unable to say it.

"He was murdered by a psycho named Gideon who was actually responsible for turning Wyatt evil before. We had trusted him, and he used it to get to Wyatt. Chris got in the way, so Gideon stabbed him." Paige replied, anger and grief woven in her voice. She turned to her older sister and offered her a small smile. "But at least we have baby Chris, and nothing bad will ever happen to him."

Piper smiled, appreciating the reminder that her youngest child was still alive and well in this timeline. That he would never have to suffer the same way that his futureself had. Still, losing Chris at all would be something that she would never forget. The pain of knowing her son had been murdered was something she would carry with her forever. All she had to hold on to were her sons, and the knowledge that their future would be better.

Anne broke into her thoughts, snapping Piper back to reality. "You expect me to believe that I was impregnated by a witch from the future? That baby over there?"

"Well, he's half whitelighter too. Piper's husband is a full whitelighter."

"This is not real. It simply can't be. I cannot be pregnant with the child of a witch-angel from the future. It's not possible. What am I going to do?"

"You can die like the rest of these witches!"

Snapping her head up Piper was the first to spot the demon that had shimmered into the room. Without hesitating she flicked her wrists causing the cat-like demon to explode. Unfortunately, the creature re-formed, instantly raising it's large hairy hand to release five razor sharp claws that went flying toward Anne who was too shocked and scared to even scream. Just as she thought they were going to stab her, the claws paused in mid-air, as though frozen in place.

Hissing the gray haired cat-demon shimmered out as Paige telekinetically orbed his own claws back at him. The youngest Charmed One glanced back at Anne who still hadn't moved or changed expression since the beginning of the attack. "Uh, guys, I think we broke her."

"Anne?" Phoebe asked softly. "It's over now. He's gone."

"For how long?" Piper asked bitterly as she took her son from Phoebe, who had woken up during the fight and was now crying. She bounced him lightly, holding him close, and whispered softly that everything was okay. Once he had settled down she gave him a good once over just for good measure. She hated when the kids were in the same room during an attack. She was worried that was why future Chris had been so nuerotic. Piper sighed and glanced over at Paige. "Why don't you start checking the book. Chances are he'll be back."

"I'm on it." Paige replied just before orbing out.

Anne slowly turned her head to look at Piper, tears were forming in her eyes. "Demons, witches, angels...my baby is going to be a part of _this_?" She shook her head, then rose from the sofa. Turning her focus to Piper, the young woman took a deep breath, her entire body rigid. "No. Not my child."

"I know how frightening this must be for you, but-"

"-But nothing Ms. Halliwell. Perhaps this seems quite a normal way to bring up a child to you, but it isn't for me. I don't have powers. I don't have angels watching over me. I'm just one woman who made a terrible mistake. I refuse to make my child pay for that mistake by allowing him or her to have any part in this dangerous magical world of yours."

This said Anne turned on her heel and walked quickly away toward the main doors. Phoebe tried to grab her arm, tried to explain to her that she just needed to listen to them, that things weren't as bad as they seemed, that they would help her, but Anne was beyond panicked, beyond confused, and even beyond shocked. She was numb. Nothing anyone said would help. So, she shrugged off Phoebe and kept going.

"Piper, freeze her!"

Piper shifted baby Chris to one arm then flicked her free hand at Anne. Piper's mouth fell open when Anne managed to open the door and disappear from the Manor. The only beings that she had ever been unable to freeze were good witches. Why hadn't Anne become frozen in place? Then it hit her. "Oh, crap."

Paige orbed into the room, the Book of Shadows in her arms. "I found the demon. It's called a Felineden. Upper level demon with super fast reflexes, razor sharp claws that can shoot out like a bullet from a gun, and regrow upon being lost. Oh, and fun note, they are tipped in poison. Also, they can see perfectly in even pitch black darkness. It's a power of three spell and a potion to vanquish." When she finished reading and looked up, she saw the shocked expression on her oldest sister's face, and saw Phoebe shaking her head sadly. "What'd I miss?"

"We were right. Anne's baby is a witch." Phoebe answered softly.

"Where _is_ Anne?"

Piper turned slowly, her chocolate brown eyes soft and sad. "Gone, and unless we can find her and convince her we want to help, she won't have anything to do with us ever again."

"We have to find her. Without us, she and that baby are defenseless."

The eldest sister nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know."

Anne was shaking as she picked up the pay phone at the gas station and dialed the number of the only person she could think of that could possibly help her. When the voice on the other end spoke, the young woman let out a breath of relief. "Tori? You know those occult shops you like? I need you to pick me up and take me to one. I have a project only you can help me with."

"I didn't think ya believed in that stuff."

"I've seen the light. Now, will you help me or not?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then, "Well, depends on what you need me to do I guess. I'm not sacrificing anything; I'm not into that kind of wicca. I'm a lover of nature and creation. I don't do the whole blood rituals or anything involving violence or destruction."

Anne rolled her eyes at her friend's comments. Sometimes she worried about Tori. The girl was just so...odd. Still, she needed her help, so she decided to just ignore the comment. "I need you to help me find something that can block witches from finding me or entering the home. Can you help?"

"Why would you need that? What happened? What kinda shit did you get yourself into, Annie?"

"Tell me if you can help, and I will tell you what happened to me."

Tori sighed into the phone. "Okay, I've heard of a couple things we could try. Now, what happened?"

"Meet me at my place in five minutes, and bring your truck. I'll fill you in on the way to whatever shop it is we have to go to."

"Why do you need my truck?"

Anne held her breath, unsure how her friend would react to her announcement. "Because I need to move in with you."

"What! Are you serious? This must be pretty damn bad, huh?"

"You're the only one who can help me with this, Tori. _Please_."

"You're scaring me, Annie."

"Five minutes, Tori." Anne replied, then hung up the phone. She let out a breath and closed her eyes. She was terrified. Her life was never going to be the same again, and she knew it. This child was different, but that didn't mean that he or she would have to be a part of the dangerous world of magic. She would find a way to save her child from that. She had to. It was the only way they would both survive.

TBC...


	4. An Illusion of Death

Thanks to those who reviewed! You are all awesome!

CHAPTER 4

**An Illusion of Death**

Anne put down the last box of items from her apartment on Tori's kitchen table, and turned to watch in curiosity as her friend's mentor in the world of wicca, Ava, chanted yet another spell. She had always thought that wicca was interesting, but at the moment Anne was just hoping the woman's spells would work. She wasn't sure how many people practicing wicca had actual powers, but Ava had proven her ability in the back of the shop, so she knew the woman to be a real witch like the Halliwells. Hopefully her magic could block them long enough for the soon to be mother to come up with a better way of keeping her child out of the way of magic.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Just the thought of that demon made her skin crawl with fear. To think that all the monsters were real...that they would ever think of hurting her little baby. That reminded her. "Ava? Are you sure that the Halliwells will see the illusion in my apartment that we left for them? That they will see the the body?"

"I've practiced making illusions for a couple years now, and I'm good at it. You're lucky. Good illusions even make people think they are touching objects that aren't there. It's all about tricking the senses." Ava replied, slightly irritated at being interrupted mid-chant. She paused, thoughtful. "Though, Pheobe's power may have increased. She might be able to see through illusions. I don't think she will though."

"That's reassuring." Anne muttered under her breath. She raised her voice enough to be heard this time. "And as for taking us off the radar of monsters and witches?"

"I told you earlier that I took care of it. It was in the drink I gave you. It's actually called a binding potion. It causes your child's powers to be unactive, and he or she won't have to worry about anything magical hunting him or her."

"Did it work?"

"Let's hope so." Ava replied. "The Halliwells are powerful. My powers might not be strong enough."

"They have to be. For the sake of my baby."

000

Piper glared at her husband as he tried sensing for Anne and her baby again. He opened one eye, saw the look she was casting him and shrugged defeated. Running a hand through his unkept dirty blonde hair, Leo Wyatt shook his head. "I don't know why this isn't working, Piper. I mean, if the baby is Chris' child, then I should be able to sense it. I'm not getting anything, though. Are you sure she wasn't lying about it being Chris'."

"Phoebe had a premonition of them...you know..." Piper replied making a face at the thought of her baby boy doing _that_. Granted he was twenty-two, but still... "Then she showed up here asking about him, and she said he was the father, and then I couldn't freeze her. It fits. The baby is Chris'."

Paige sighed, letting the scrying crystal and string fall onto the map. She rubbed her upper arm and shoulder. "Okay, I'm done. My arm can't take any more of this." She turned to her eldest sister. "Besides, I'm not getting anything either."

The eldest Charmed One placed her hands on her hips and frowned, switching her glare first from her husband then to her youngest sister. "We can't just give up. She is carrying our grandchild. Your great niece or nephew. If we don't find her, they could die. We can _not_ let that happen."

"I found her address!" Phoebe called up to the attic as she ran up the stairs. When she bounded into the room, she had a piece of pink stationary in her hand, which she immediately handed to Paige. "All we have to do is orb over there and wait for her to show up."

"But, we totally scared her. She may not go to her apartment for days or weeks. I mean, if it was listed in the phone book, don't you think she'd realize we'd try to find her there?"

"Do you have any better ideas, Paige?" Piper asked, arms folded over her chest, one eyebrow raised.

The youngest witch made a face and rolled her eyes. "No."

"Then orb."

The three sisters disappeared in a swirl of lights, leaving Leo to watch Chris and Wyatt. When they rematerialized at the address Phoebe had written down, the Charmed Ones found themselves in a small apartment that was completely trashed. The sofa had deep tears in the fabric and the chair next to it was turned over. Pictures had fallen off the wall, glass was broken from the mirror on the wall, and a trail of blood began in the hallway and lead the sisters into the bedroom. It was in that room that they saw Anne laying on the floor, the phone in one hand.

Phoebe turned her head away, unable to see the young woman like that. Paige held her breath, walking slowly over to the body as Piper called furiously for her husband. The witch-whitelighter touched the woman lightly on the shoulder. "Anne?"

The body toppled over, and Paige gasped as she saw the face completely torn up as though an animal with large claws had used it as a scratching board. Blood ran down the face and neck. Paige jerked away from the body, wanting to gag. "Stop calling for Leo, Piper. It's too late."

"No." Piper shook her head. "She can't be..."

Phoebe wrapped her arms around her sister, knowing how hard this was on her. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie. I'm so sorry."

"I failed Chris again."

"No, you didn't, Piper." Paige said firmly. "She did. She didn't listen to us. Didn't believe that we'd help her. If anyone is to blame for the baby's death, it's her."

"She's dead, Paige!" Piper yelled, her tears flowing from her anger filled brown eyes. "That's _not_ her fault. She was drug into this situation; it wasn't her choice to become the target of that demon. We should never have let her out of the Manor. Now, because we couldn't keep our innocent in our sights, Chris' baby is dead."

Paige cringed as she took another look at the body. Her mind was racing as she thought about what her big sister was going through, and also about the terror Anne must have felt when that demon came after her. It was such a horrible situation, and Piper was right about it not being Anne's fault. Chris should never have slept with her. Not that she really blamed him for wanting a little companionship...What a mess. Too bad it wasn't over yet, either. "We need to figure out what to do with the body and this mess. We can't call Darryl. So...should I use a spell?"

"I don't care." Piper spat, roughly wiping away her tears.

The youngest witch cast her favorite spell to clean up messes, and watched in satisfaction as the room returned to looking clean and organized, not a spot of blood anywhere to be seen. Strangely enough, the body vanished into thin air as though it were part of the scene Paige had mentioned in her spell. That was odd...Paige frowned trying to figure out how that could have happened. She was about to mention that to her sisters when Phoebe spoke.

"Maybe this is for the best."

Piper's head came up, her eyes boaring into her sister. "How can you say that?"

"Chris is just a baby in this time. Don't you think that having a child only a year younger than him might have been a little difficult and confusing? Not to mention the birth records that would have needed tampering in order to protect our secret. It just would have been so complicated for everyone."

Piper remained silent, but her expression spoke for her. Her normally gentle, chocolate brown eyes were narrowed, sparking with anger and grief. Her jaw was set rigidly, the muscle tense. Instead of arguing with her sister, she held it in, merely turning to Paige. "Get us out of here."

"Piper-"

"Just orb, damn it!"

Paige and Phoebe exchanged looks, each knowing how hard this was on their sister, and wishing that they could say something to ease her guilt and grief. There was nothing either of them could say though. Piper and Leo were still in so much pain over Chris' death. The sisters knew what Piper had been thinking when she thought about the baby. They knew that she felt the baby would link her to the neurotic whitelighter they had grown to love. They each secretly feared that baby Chris would grow up to be completely different from his futureself, and while they did want him to be happier, they would miss his original version. Now that Chris' baby was gone, Piper had lost the last link to that Chris. He was truly dead. Paige and Phoebe knew that she was only surviving the loss because she had baby Chris and Wyatt. Still, there was the fear that Chris' death may be repeated in the future...that it was his destiny.

When the trio reappeared in the attic of the manor, Piper dropped Paige's hand and moved to her husband, who was sitting on the sofa with baby Chris in one arm and Wyatt in the other. When he saw the look on Piper's face he frowned, a terrible feeling forming in his stomach. "Piper?"

Instead of speaking, Piper took baby Chris out of his father's arms and just held him tight against her chest. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie."

Leo glanced over at his sisters-in-law, a question written on his face. When he saw them both wearing the same miserable expression he knew what had happened without having to ask aloud. The demon had gotten to Anne. That was why he couldn't sense her, why Paige's scrying had failed. She and the baby were both dead.

tbc... (sorry this was short-the next one will be very long, though)


	5. Snapshots

Wow, I think I lost everybody. Sad. Well, for those still reading this, things are about to get a whole lot messed up. Oh, and I promise that Chris will be in pretty much all the chapters after this one. Anywho, thanks a ton to Sparkling Cherries and Piper+Leo4eva for their reviews. This one's for you two!

CHAPTER 5

**Snapshots**

Anne bit her lip so hard that she drew blood. Tori was yelling at her to keep breathing and to push just one more time. She couldn't. It hurt so much. The rational part of her brain was telling her that she had better just push and get it over with. Little One was not going to wait forever after all. Child had to be born sooner or later. Might as well just get the pain over with, and meet her daughter. With tears of pain brimming in her eyes, the former medical student took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could.

After a few moments, a cry was heard. Tori was crying and smiling beside her. "It's a boy, Annie. Sonagram was wrong. Oh, he's perfect. Ten fingers and ten toes. Healthy as can be. I mean, just listen to him hollar. Thought the docs had to spank babies before they would cry?"

"Not always." Anne replied, straining to get a peak at her son. Soon, the nurses finished cleaning the child and brought him over, wrapped in a terry cloth, powder blue blanket with little yellow stars printed on it. He wore a matching blue hat to keep his head warm. His little pudgy face was all red, his eyes closed as he sucked on his tiny thumb. Anne was in love at first sight. She kissed the top of his head, tears rolling down her face as she held the child close. "Hey, there, Little One. I'm your mum."

Tori leaned over to see the baby better and smiled. She turned to her best friend and frowned thoughtfully. "Since you thought it was going to be a girl we have a lot of redecorating to do. Hey, do you even have a name for the little guy? We can't call him kid forever."

"Alexander Christopher Cramer."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Sounds British _and_ old. At least tell me you plan on giving him a nickname like Al or Alex."

Anne smiled at her friend's comment, then turned her bright blue eyes to her son. She let out a little breath of satisfaction. "Welcome to the world, Alex."

000

Seven year old Alex Cramer sighed as he studied the card he was holding in his hand. It was an invitation to a birthday party. It was from his friend Jonathon Gill. They had met at school this year and had become fast friends. The little boy wanted to go so badly. Well, at least part of him did. The other part didn't want to suffer the embarrassment going would entail. It was a father-son camp out for the weekend. Fathers bonding with other fathers, and the sons all playing around, swimming, fishing, and telling ghost stories. Alex didn't have a father though. He would be singled out. Again.

Tossing the invitation into the waste basket, the little boy sighed in total disappointment and moved into the livingroom to watch television and take his mind off of his troubles. He let out a groan as he saw his Aunt Tori asleep on the sofa snoring softly. So much for television. Maybe he could just read until his mum got back from work at the school. He remembered hearing his Aunt Tori talk about his mum almost being a doctor, but she had to quit the program because it was too stressful when she was pregnant. She had gone back to school and gotten a degree in education instead. His mum and Aunt fought about that a lot. Tori thought his mum should try to become a doctor again now that Alex was older. His mum said she liked teaching high school biology just fine.

Whenever they talked about it Alex always felt a little guilty. His mum said he shouldn't think like that. She always said that he should remember that he is just a kid and have fun. Always telling him to stop being...what was the word? He thought for a moment. Martyr. That was what she called him when she teased him. He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but someday he would find out and prove he wasn't one.

The door opened and his mother walked in carrying two bags of groceries. He moved to help her, so she gave him the bag that only had a carton of eggs in it, reminding him to be careful with it. When they reached the kitchen, the little boy took the eggs out of the bag and carefully placed them in the fridge as his mother placed her full bag on the counter and started to unload the groceries. As she did so, Alex hopped up onto the stool next to the island. "How was your day, Mum?"

"Well, let's see...I ran into Mr. Peterson at the store. You remember him, Alex? He used to live upstairs. Gave you candy when my back was turned." She grinned as the little boy nodded his head, his green eyes twinkling at the memory of the nice elderly man with the candy. Anne took a gallon of milk out of the bag and moved to put in the fridge. "Anyway, he wanted me to tell you hello."

"He was nice. I liked him."

Anne reached into the now empty bag and moved to put it next to the waste basket to save it in case she was ever in need of a bag. She paused as she saw a card laying on the top of the garbage. Without thinking she picked it up and read it. She frowned as she realized what it was, and why it was in the trash. "Alex, I thought Jonathon was your friend. Don't you want to celebrate his birthday with him?"

"No." The child replied softly.

"No?" She questioned as she saw the pitiful look her son was wearing. She knew what this was about, and planned on settling the issue immediately. "Alex, I know you don't have a father, but that doesn't mean you can't go. I trust Mr. Gill to look after you, and besides, Jonathon doesn't care. He's your friend. He'll be terribly disappointed if you don't go."

"I guess so."

Anne moved to her son's side and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Alex. I wish that things were different. I really do. It's just that your dad-"

"-Died." Alex finished for her looking up into her eyes. "Why did he have to, Mom? How come I don't get to have a dad, and all my friends do?"

"I don't know, Honey."

Alex bit his lip, as he thought about something. His green eyes clouded over as his mind wandered. Whenever he did that, Anne always thought of his father. How Chris' green eyes had looked that way, and had ended up changing her life forever. At first she thought it had been a change for the worse, but she had been wrong. Her son was the best thing in her life, and she would always be thankful to Chris for giving him to her. Her mind was brought back to Earth as her son spoke. She shook her head, trying to forget about Chris. "Sorry, what was that?"

"What was Dad like?"

Anne smiled, knowing exactly what to say, having answered this question many times in the past. "He was smart, knew a ton about science and different theories. He had a quick wit too. Made me laugh. He could be very reserved at times though, thoughtful, just like you. Most of all he was a good man. He would do anything to help a fellow human being. If you remember nothing else about what your father was like, always remember that he was a brave man who gave his life to save others and that he is watching over you and loves you very, very much."

"Mom, promise me you won't ever leave me."

The young woman frowned, surprised and saddened by the request. She understood why he would ask her not to, but it was still so painful to hear your baby worrying about losing you. He was just a little boy. He didn't need those kinds of thoughts running in his head. Anne wished that he could have had a normal family with a mother and a father, both alive and healthy, so that death would be just some foreign concept. Instead, it was part of her son's reality, and she hated that.

Wrapping her arms around him again, Anne held him close and whispered softly, firmly into his ear. "I will never leave you. I love you."

000

Alex frowned as he saw his Aunt Tori waiting for him at the door to his and his mum's house. He didn't need a babysitter anymore. He was thirteen years old for crying out loud! Still, every day Tori would be there to watch him until his mum got back from work. He rolled his eyes as she extended a snack tray full of fruit to him. He reluctantly took a strawberry, tossing it into his mouth.

Throwing his bag on the floor next to the door, the boy plopped down on the sofa to watch some television before hitting the books. As usual nothing good was on. He kept flipping the channels. Tori said something but he ignored her. Nothing she ever said was really important. Mostly because she was too weird for anything she said to make sense.

The phone rang. Being as he was closer to it, Alex picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, is this Alex Cramer?"

Alex frowned, trying to figure out who the voice belonged to. "Yeah."

"Good. Listen you little bastard stay the hell away from _my_ track team." Click.

The thirteen year old stared at the phone for a moment, his anger growing. Ever since he had gotten into Junior High people had started picking on him. He was different, so the kids swooped down upon him, trying to make his life as miserable as possible. He had the slight accent he had picked up from living with his mother, so the kids called him the 'foreign freak'. What was worse was when the big group of rich, popular kids all gathered in clumps and yelled at him...called him a bastard...called his mother a whore. The thought of anyone calling his mother _anything_ made his blood boil.

It took a moment for Alex to realize that something was wrong. It wasn't until the smoke started to waft into his nose that he realized that the coffee table had burst into flames. He jumped up from the sofa, suprised and frightened. He turned around to find his babysitter, but she was no where in sight. "Tori! Fire! Help!"

After a moment, his light green eyes saw the door open. She had left early. That must have been what she had said earlier! He was alone...in a burning house. The only thought that came to mind was escape. He had to get out of there and fast. Alex started to run for the door, but as he turned to face the door, someone grabbed him, holding him in place. Raising his head to see who it was, the boy was shocked to see a man with blonde hair and dark blue eyes dressed all in black. The man grinned, the expression sending a chill down the teen's spine. Alex instinctly raised his knee, causing the man to release him.

"Don't think that will save you fire starter!" As the man shouted a large blade appeared out of the air.

All the black haired teen could do was stare in astonishment at the trick. How was that possible? How could a knife just...appear? His bewilderment almost cost him his life as the other man lunged forward, knife aimed at his chest. Luckily, Alex's panic instinct clicked on and before he knew what was happening, he felt a floating sensation. When he opened his jade eyes next, he was lying next to the door. His fear of the other man was too great for him to even think about what he had just done. He just scrambled to his feet trying to head out the door. However, the dark man appeared out of no where, and if Alex hadn't swirved, his heart would have been pierced.

"Alex, I'm home." The door suddenly swung the rest of the way open, sending the stranger falling forward. Anne saw her son's pale expression, and followed his wide eyed gaze to find the attacker, already on his feet again. She instinctively moved in front of her son. "Who are you? What are you doing in my home?"

"I'm a witch, and I came for the fire starter's powers." The intruder suddenly cocked his head to one side and grinned. "But he may be worth more to me alive. A hybred...fire starting whitelighter...I imagine I could get a lot of powers if I sold him."

Alex pulled on his mother's arm, trying to get her to run. "Come on, Mum! Run!"

"You can't run from me. I always get what I come for."

The man disappeared again causing both mother and son to pause, gazing around wearily. When he did not instantly reappear, Anne shook her head, her body shaking with fear. "Oh, god. This can't be happening. It just can't be. Ava protected us. How did he find us?"

"Mum, let's go. The fire-"

Alex's words were stopped short as Anne quickly pulled him forward, causing him to lose his balance and fall behind her. When he looked up he saw that the attacker had appeared and had been behind him, poised to either kill him, or use the blade to force him to leave with him. Instead, his mother had been quick enough to get him out of the way, and what followed seemed to go in slow motion for the young teenager. The blade seemed to crawl toward his mother's gut, and seemed to only be withdrawn after several minutes had passed. Her face immediately paled, her blue eyes wide in fear and pain as the cold steel drew the life from her body. She even seemed to fall to the ground un-naturally slowly, like her body were a feather being dropped, floating rather than falling. When her head hit the floor, time suddenly seemed to speed up.

Fear, anger and hatred took over the young teenager as he gazed in agony at his mother's still form. His body shook with rage, his green eyes growing dark and cold as he lifted his head to look into the eyes of the monster. All he had to do was look at the man, and instantly the other's body became engulfed in flames. The attacker screamed in pain before bursting into nothing but a scorch mark on the floor.

As soon as the man was gone, the rage subsided slightly, and Alex crawled to his mother's side. He took her head in his lap, tears beginning to pour from his now soft green eyes. "Mum? You're going to be ok. I'll get us out of here, and then we can get you to the hospital."

"It's too late for that." Anne shook her head, knowing that her life was mere moments from being over. She had to tell him. She had to warn him...before it was too late. Maybe it already was, but she had to at least try. "Alex, you have to go to Tori. You have to tell her your powers have become unbound somehow. You have to tell her that they are after you..."

Alex wasn't listening; he was too busy trying to figure out how to make himself do that strange transportation thing he had done earlier. It wasn't working though. He wasn't even sure if it had been real. After everything he had just seen and what his mother had just said about powers, then it had to have been, right? He concentrated, trying to figure out how to make that floaty feeling come back. It wasn't working. He glanced back, seeing the fire growing, consuming their home. He had to get her out of here!

"The Halliwells-" Anne tried to tell him about them, tried to inform him that perhaps they could help him if Tori couldn't. However, as her last breath left her, her message went unfinished.

"MUM!" Alex cried out as he felt her go limp in his arms. His pain over his loss so great that he didn't care about the fire...about the smoke that threatened to suffocate him. He didn't care about any of it. He could die with her for all he cared. Nothing mattered to him without his mum. However, someone had other plans for the young witch.

A figure appeared, a young woman with shoulder length black hair, who seemed to glow in a soft white light. She knelt down beside the young man, and touched his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Alex, you're going to be all right. I promise."

Alex stared, wide eyed at the beautiful stranger, who had appeared out of no where. Part of him wondered if she was another witch come to kill him. He got the feeling that she wasn't though. No, she looked too much like an angel to be evil. She also looked familiar somehow. Though, before he could contimplate it further, he felt the floating senstation take over him, though it was different this time. It wasn't a feeling that arose from inside him, but rather from the outside, like the woman had done it to him. When he was able to focus his vision, he realized that he was in Tori's apartment, lying on her sofa. The dark haired woman was gone.

"Alex! How the hell did you do that?"

The teenager turned numbly to the sound of his Aunt's voice. He merely blinked as she stared wide eyed at him. "Where did she go?"

"You just appeared out of nowhere! Oh, god. Your powers...they've been released somehow. Ava lied. They must not have been bound. Shit. Piss. Your mom's going to freak out."

A tear slipped down the shocked boy's face. "No."

"Oh, yes she will." Tori continued to rant, not paying attention to him. "She's going to flip out and cry and yell and-" she paused mid-sentence as she finally saw the boy crying silently, his green eyes dark, clouded with pain...with loss. Her stomach sank as she looked into those green depths. "Alex?"

"Mom's dead. The witch killed her."

Tori rushed to her friend's son, wrapping her arms around the youth. Her own tears were falling onto his jet black hair. No words formed on her tongue. All she could do was hold him for awhile. She didn't think anything she could say would help anyway.

"Tori, aren't you a witch?"

The woman shook her head. "Not anymore. Not after this. Witches aren't what I thought they were. Ava lied, maybe even betrayed us to let them get to you when your powers were finally released. The Halliwells put you in danger-"

"The Halliwells?" Alex frowned as he remembered his mother's last words. "Mom said their name before..."

"Witches, real witches, abuse their power. I've always thought that real witches were dangerous. Even Ava used her powers for personal use too much. I should never have trusted her. Oh, honey, don't you worry, I know enough about witches to help you. Together we'll figure out how to control your powers. You can defend yourself and innocents."

Alex shook his head. "Tori, I'm scared. I don't understand any of this. What am I?"

"Man kind's only hope."

000

Nyru shook his head as the seer replayed the scene in the Cramer house. His demon had done as instructed, informing the ignorant child that he was a witch in order to confuse the fire starting whitelighter. However, he was supposed to make sure that the child was alone in the end. That his mother was dead, and he had no where to go. That way, he could use the child to his own benefit. Fire starters were powerful, and he could use that kind of power on his side. Instead, that damn whitelighter had shown up and ruined everything. Still, at least part of the plan had gone well. The boy now thought witches were evil, and if he played his cards right, that idiot Aunt of his would further confuse him, sending him on the wrong path...well, the right path for Nyru's purposes...

tbc... any guesses on who the whitelighter is? hehe


	6. Meeting, Murder, and Heavenly Arguments

CHAPTER 6

**Meeting, Murder, and Heavenly Arguments**

Chris Halliwell awoke to the sound of snoring. He mentally groaned and opened his light green eyes, casting a death glare at his older brother who was sleeping soundly in the bed on the opposite side of the room. The older boy was sprawled out on his twin size bed, one leg and one arm dangling over the edge, his mouth wide open as yet another loud snore erupted from him. The younger sibling began to cuss under his breath at the unfairness of having to share a room at the age of eighteen. Why Wyatt couldn't have gone to college in another city, state or even country, Chris couldn't fathom. He imagined it was just his bad luck. He would forever be woken up at six in the morning by his stupid brother's snoring.

Letting his lack of sleep in combination with his temper get the better of him, Chris flicked his hand in his brother's direction sending him toppling to the floor. He closed his eyes to feign sleep, but couldn't stop the grin of satisfaction that was forming on his lips at the sound of the Twice Blessed witch hitting the floor.

After a moment, the blonde haired teenager crawled back into bed, resuming his snoring a few moments after his head hit his pillow. Chris groaned pulling his own pillow over his head to block the noise. It didn't work. Frustrated, the younger witch sat up in bed, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, stood up, and marched out of the room, slamming the door on the way out. He paused outside listening to see if he had managed to wake up the Wyatt, the human log. A loud snore resounded. Chris banged his head against the wall.

"Sweetie?"

Chris turned and smiled at his mom, who was coming out of her room. She had her long silky brown hair tossed up in a ponytail and was still in her purple silk pajamas with matching fuzzy slippers. She was frowning in concern at him, hands on her hips waiting for him to explain why he had been hitting his head against the wall. When he didn't respond she raised an eyebrow. "Chris, what's wrong?"

"Wyatt woke me up. _Again_."

Piper shook her head, slightly amused. "Sorry, Peanut."

"Yeah, well, at least I always get the shower first." He grinned, kissed his mother on the cheek, then headed into the bathroom to start getting ready for school.

His mother sighed as she heard the sound of a lion roaring coming from the boys' room. If she hadn't heard her eldest son's snoring before, she might have been frightened. As it was, she just felt very sorry for her youngest. She really needed to talk to Leo about converting the basement to a bedroom. Otherwise, Chris might kill his sibling. Shaking her head in amusement over her poor son's predicament, Piper continued down the stairs to start preparing breakfast for everyone. Since Chris had his first track meet of the year that afternoon, she wanted to make sure he got started on the right foot. She just knew it was going to be a big day for him.

000

Chris glanced around the track, scoping out the competition. Not too many of the other racers had ever actually posed any threat to his title as state champion, but when a guy becomes too confident, he makes mistakes, and Chris Halliwell hated making mistakes. So, he always evaluated everyone before even walking onto the track as a way of knowing exactly what he had to do in order to win. Which he had already done three times today. In the one hundred meter hurdle, the one hundred meter sprint, and the two hundred meter hurdle. Only one more race left, and he planned on winning that one too. Now, to take a look at who was going to be running this one with him...

He started with the familiar faces both on his team and off. On his own team, the only person to come even close to him was Ryan Pollert. The guy had a raw talent to be sure, but he never worked on it. He relied only on genetics and often lost a beat during the last third of the race. No threat there. Next was Oscar Weed from Bay High, who had beaten Chris once last year, but didn't seem too be a real competitor this year. He had gained twenty pounds and Chris had seen him smoking outside the mall last weekend. No way did the guy stand a chance. Everyone else seemed to be about the same as they had the previous year. There weren't many new kids, and those that were seemed to be too young to really be worth worrying about. Although, there was one new kid that caught his attention.

A black haired teenager Chris had never seen before was sitting quite a distance away from the rest of his teammates. He had long finished stretching and was merely staring off into the air. While some people might just think the kid was a space cadet and leave it at that, Chris knew differently. The kid was psyching himself up for the race, zoning out to mentally prepare. The other teen seemed to definitely have the mental determination and focus to be a real competitor. He was the same build as Chris too...that meant he was probably just as fast. This guy could be a real threat. Though, Chris had more advantages than the other youth. Firstly, he had teammates that would support him, while the other kid seemed to be an outsider. Also, the race was taking place on his turf. This track was his baby, and the crowd was mostly on his side.

"Halliwell, get going, would ya?"

Chris nodded over to his coach before jogging onto the track, taking his place in lane one. He was a bit surprised to find that the black haired youth was the one to take the spot next to him in lane two. Interesting. He smiled at the seemingly younger teenager and extended a hand. "I'm Chris."

"Alex." The boy replied with the slightest English accent.

"Good, luck."

Alex hesitated a moment before offering a small smile. "Yeah, you too."

Taking their marks, both boys glanced at one another one last time, a strange feeling coming over Chris as he stared into the other runner's green eyes. They looked familiar. Weird. The whole vibe he got was strange. It was like he knew Alex somehow. He shook his head and returned his focus on the task at hand: winning.

As the whistle blew, Chris shot out front of the pack. After a while, the witch glanced back around him with his eyes to check on the rest of the runners' positions. The only person anywhere near him was Alex. He had been right, the kid was fast. Really fast. In fact, the black haired teen was gaining on him. Pleasantly surprised as the other boy caught up and kept pace with him, Chris smiled. This was going to be fun. He always loved a challenge.

For the first hundred meters both boys were neck and neck, neither one letting the other one step ahead. As they came up on the last fifty meters though, Chris noticed the other boy start to lose focus slightly. He recognized it, and knew what was happening in the other kid's head. Alex was thinking ahead too far. Thought about the chance to win. His focus was slipping because of his excitement. Chris hated doing it to such a seemingly nice guy, but he had to pounce on the opportunity. He was too competitive not to.

Using all the energy he had left, Chris upped his speed faster than he would have against a more experience racer, bolting a bit earlier than his coach probably would have recommended. In fact, he could hear the man yelling at him to pace himself a bit longer. He knew what to do though. And it worked. As he pulled farther and farther ahead of Alex, Chris glanced back out of the side of his eyes and saw the shock on the new runner's face. The kid instinctively slowed giving Chris an even bigger lead. By the time Alex regained his rhythm it was too late, Chris was jogging comfortably over the finish line. The older witch was bent over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath as the younger teen crossed the line to take second place. When Chris had regained his breath, which didn't take long, he walked over to Alex, smiling. "Awesome race, Alex."

"Thanks." Alex suddenly frowned. "You were bluffing weren't you? You didn't really have all that much energy reserved did you?"

Although, he knew better than to share his secrets with competition, Chris couldn't help but let the kid know the truth. For some reason, Alex just appealed to him. Reminded him of him. "Yeah, I do that when I know that the person I'm running against hasn't run against me before, so doesn't know my ability level, and when that person is good enough to threaten my chance of winning." Chris noticed Alex look down at his sneakers in humility. "Hey, I mean it. You're really good. How come I haven't ever seen you at a meet before? Did you just move here?"

Alex glanced up, still looking a little embarrassed at being praised. "Uh, no, actually I've lived here all my life. I just..." He paused unsure what to say for a moment. "I wasn't allowed to be on the track team."

"Not _allowed_?"

The sixteen year old nodded, casting a bitter glance over at his teammate Oscar Weed. He shook his head. "Some people don't care for me much."

"Yeah, well, Oscar Weed is the biggest jackass I've ever met in my life. He thinks he's God's gift to track. He hates anyone that proves that little idea wrong. Being as your twice the runner he is, I can see why he would take his insecurity issues out on you." Chris glared at the pig-headed jock for a moment before returning his attention to his new friend. "Tell you what, I know Oscar pretty well. Unfortunately, our social circles sometimes cross. If he bothers you again, just tell him Chris Halliwell will kick his ass if he messes with you. Everyone deserves to do what they love without getting hassled by jerks like him."

Alex's face drastically paled even as he forced a smile onto his face. "Thanks."

"I mean it. I hate bullies." Chris heard his name called and turned to see the most beautiful woman in the world coming toward him. He smiled and waved at her before quickly returning to looking at Alex. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. Hopefully I'll see you at the next meet?"

"Yeah." Alex replied distantly still seemingly lost in thought.

Chris took off in the direction of a beautiful, dark haired woman. Alex watched as the older boy put his arms around the seemingly older woman, saw him kiss her and have her return it. With long brown hair, tanned skin, and a perfect figure, Chris' girlfriend was the most beautiful woman Alex had ever seen. He felt envy creeping into his heart. Chris seemed to have it all going for him. He was popular, had the model girlfriend, and was a winner.

What really stuck with Alex though was the older teen's last name. Halliwell. That name had been the last word his mother had spoken before she died. Tori had said the Halliwells had put his mum in danger. Chris was one of them. What did that mean? Was Chris a witch too? Had he used his dark magic to get everything he had? Was he the enemy?

000

A woman was running down an alley, her dirty blonde curls bouncing with the fall of each foot. She turned a corner slowing then stopping as she saw that her new path was actually a dead end. Her pursuer walked slowly, calmly around the corner, his eyes never leaving her tear stained face.

Another man watched from the safety of the shadows, a smile slowly creeping onto his shadow covered face. He loved watching his puppet work, killing any witch he put his marrionette on the trail of. Oh, how glorious it was to have his plan going so perfectly. All of the benefits of a dead witch, with none of the risk. It was the good life.

The woman was now slowly backing up, her voice quivering as she begged for her life. Her pitiful power of deflection had already failed her against her attacker, and now, all she had was words. They would not save her from the wrath of his minion. Nothing would. Oh, how her soft voice shaking amused him! "Please...please, let me go."

"You want mercy?" The other asked evenly. He took a step toward her. His hands were clenched by his sides. Growing more intense with each word, his voice otherwise soft, sounded harsh...deadly. "Your kind showed _me_ no mercy."

"You are one of us!"

The attacker's face became even more grave, his eyes darkening as he continued to move toward the fear filled witch. "One of you? Hardly. I was born to stop you monsters. I was born to be a witch hunter."

"Witches aren't monsters. We fight evil."

Raising his hand, the hunter watched stoically as the witch futilly raised her shield against the flames that consumed her from the inside out. Her scream of pain only lasted a mere portion of a second before death silenced her. The witch hunter turned his back on the ashes. "My mother wasn't evil. You monsters killed her. Now...you can all burn." He then walked slowly out of the alley, never looking back.

Nyru stepped out of the shadows, the pleased smile still plastered onto his face. "Oh, how your powers have grown. Soon, you will be able to complete my ultimate goal...decimating the Halliwells."

000

Prue Halliwell glared at Odin as he went on about how she could not interfere in the lives of her family no matter how much she wanted to. How he had let her save Alex's life without any repurcussions, but he would not tolerate her seeing the boy again, for fear that she would tell him who his father was. Heaven knew how disasterous that would be. She disagreed. If the boy knew his heritage it would not only make him feel less alone in the world, but he could use his powers to help his family in the fight against evil. As Odin noticed her heated glare, he paused, gesturing for her to speak. "I could help him! I could teach him about his powers and the responsibility that goes with them. As it is, he is alone with that...that village idiot! He needs someone to help him understand his destiny. Let me go back!"

"Absolutely not, Ms. Halliwell. I have told you a thousand times, your presence on Earth will only cause problems. Now, I didn't want to have to bind you here, but you gave me no choice after you interefered three years ago. You are dead, Prue. You have been for nearly two decades, so you might as well just get used to it. You can't be in control anymore."

A woman in a flowing golden robe appeared, a shameful look on her face. "Odin? We have a problem. Three witches have been killed in the last two days. The other two whitelighters arrived to find their charges' bodies burned into nothing but mere ashes. My charge, Sylvia, was killed this morning in the same manner. Councilman Gent wants to know if Leo Wyatt should be contacted and the Charmed Ones put to find the demon responsible."

"Duh. If anyone can find and vanquish that sorry demon it would be my sisters."

Odin cast Prue a look to be silent. She looked less than reproachful. Sighing, he then turned his focus to the whitelighter. "I'll handle it. Wyatt can get a bit touchy about being called away from his family."

"Yes, sir."

Prue folded her arms over her chest. "We are soooo not done."

"Leo can't see you here. He'll start asking questions that we cannot afford to answer. And yes, we are more than finished, Ms. Halliwell." With the wave of his hand, Odin sent the dark haired young woman away in a swirl of blue and white light. He shook his head, knowing that he would be seeing her again shortly. She wasn't one to give up. It was a shame that Alex's destiny was already decided. It had been since the day of his unfortunate conception.

TBC...

Thanks to everyone for reviewing. You guys keep me inspired! I love you all for it!


	7. Oepidus Complex

Warning: f-bomb is dropped.

CHAPTER 7

**Oepidus Complex**

Alex couldn't believe he was actually at a real party. He had never been invited to one before; he was generally considered a loser and not worthy of hanging out with the popular kids at his school. Taking second in the race a couple days ago had changed people's opinions. He had become a somebody. It was strange to think that being able to run fast was enough to get people's attention. At the moment, he really didn't care how he had gotten their approval, just that he had it.

Staying close to the beverage table, the sixteen year old watched everyone interacting, wondering at how different people were at parties. The image they portrayed at school was so different than what he was seeing here. Like Sarah Brennan...at school she always seemed like such an innocent, sweet girl, but here she was completely wasted and had her boyfriend's tongue down her throat. Alex shook his head sighing, and turned his attention to those dancing. He would have liked to dance. It looked like fun. Being in such close proximity to a beautiful girl, bodies rubbing against each other in rhythm with the music. It would be great. He wouldn't dance tonight or ever though. No girl had ever really been interested in him, and dancing alone didn't seem quite as appealing.

A loud shout of approval went up as someone came through the door. Alex moved to see who the newcomer was. It was Chris and his girlfriend. The younger boy nearly dropped his dr. pepper. He hadn't thought he would see the Halliwell kid again so soon. He wasn't ready! Alex needed to know what Chris was. If he was a witch...well, what had to be done would be done. Then again, he could use Chris' ignorance of his threat to him to get into the home of the Halliwells, get revenge for what had happened to his parents because of them. Still, nothing was for sure. Maybe Chris wasn't a witch. Maybe he wasn't one of _those_ Halliwells. Only time would tell.

"Hey, Alex, you're here!" Chris' voice brought him back to the party. The other teen had apparently spotted him and made his way over, gorgeous girlfriend in tow. "Hey, Bianca, this is Alex, the guy I told you about, and Alex, this is my girlfriend, Bianca."

Shaking the woman's hand, Alex tried not to let his nervousness show. He just couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was. Her soft brown eyes were so entrancing, he couldn't stop looking into them and wondering what mysteries laid hidden in their never ending depths. He finally forced himself to turn his eyes away. "Nice to meet you, Bianca."

"You too."

Oh, that voice. Like a sultry angel. He swallowed as his eyes caught sight of the parts of her below the neck. She was wearing a deep red halter top that clung to her, showing off her most feminine attributes, and a pair of black slacks that outlined her perfect curves. He shook his head to clear it. It didn't work. He heard Chris talking, but missed what was said. It didn't seem to matter, apparently it had been directed to Bianca.

"Chris, are you kidding? Already?"

The other boy glanced upward with his jade eyes before nodding. "Uh, yeah. I'm so sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Chris, come on. Can't Wyatt take care of it?"

"Bianca-"

"-Fine. I get it. Go." She shook her head, disappointment radiating in her big brown eyes.

Chris looked miserable. He turned to Alex, speaking softly. "Hey, could you hang with Bianca until I get back? I don't want her to have to wait alone. People get kinda crazy at these things."

"Not a problem." Alex replied, a large smile growing on his face at the thought of getting to spend time alone with Bianca. He shook his head as he realized what he was thinking. She was Chris' girlfriend. He had no right to even think that sort of thing. Chris had been nice to him. Granted, he could be a witch, but Alex liked the idea of innocent until proven guilty. He would consider Chris a friend...for now. In order to keep it that way, he really couldn't be trusted alone with Bianca. "Chris-"

The other teenager had already headed off toward the door.

Alex noticed Bianca instantly move toward the cooler of beer, popping the can open and downing one. His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy." She tossed the now empty can in a trash basket and reached for another.

"So, does he do that a lot? Disappear on you? Leave you alone at parties?"

Bianca sighed. "It's not something he can help. It just happens. I understand that."

"If you say so."

"I do." She turned on him getting defensive. "He has a lot of responsibility. Chris has a major obligation to help his family. It's more important than being at some dumb party with a bunch of teenagers who have no clue what the real world is like."

Alex fought not to ask what kind of help Chris was giving his family. He didn't really want to know. For the first time since he had learned about magic he was hoping that the Halliwells weren't as evil as Tori always told him. Maybe that wasn't what his mother was going to tell him in those last moments, and his Aunt really was just being her psycho self. Truth be told he liked Chris. He really didn't want to have to kill him.

Bianca finished her drink and took another. She seemed really upset about something. Chris more than likely. Relationships seemed to be more trouble than they were worth sometimes. The woman noticed him staring at her and frowned. "What? Think that I shouldn't be drinking so fast? Well, you don't know me. Don't know what I can handle. I can handle a hell of a lot."

"Bet you can." Alex replied, slightly shocked as the woman downed her third can and reached for a fourth. His angel sure liked the beer. He was worried about her. She shouldn't be drinking like that. It wasn't safe. "Hey, slow down there."

"Oh, so you going to start to tell me what to do too?"

"Too?"

She nodded, a disgusted look on her face. "Yeah, people telling me who I am supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do with my life. They just don't understand that I'm not that person anymore. Too bad I have to be...for now." She finished the can tossing it at the basket, missing. Her eyes were already beginning to become cloudy with intoxication. It appeared that she couldn't handle as much as she thought. "Dance?"

Alex smiled, more than willing to dance with her. That was part of the problem. If she wasn't thinking clearly, which she didn't seem to be, things might go really wrong. As it was he didn't get to answer because she took his hand and drug him over to an open space. She casually threw her arms around his neck, moving her body close to his. He swallowed as he gingerly placed his hands around her waist. Damn that felt good! She was Chris' and he was still a friend for now. This was bad. This was really bad. Oh, but when her hips started to grind against him in beat with the music...what had he been thinking?

The song ended. She pulled away, bringing him out of his hormonal stupor. It was then that he noticed the tears in her eyes. He frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I love him."

"How is that a problem?"

Bianca shook her head slowly, wiping the tears away roughly. "Because we can't be together." She turned away suddenly, her voice carrying to him even though her back was to him. "I bring nothing but pain."

Alex was frozen in place for a moment as she forced her way through the crowd. When he realized that she was attempting to leave the party in a drunken state and that he had promised Chris he would watch out for her, he took off after her, pushing people out of his way to catch up to her. When he did, he pulled her into one of the spare rooms, feeling very fortunate that no one was occupying it. He guided her to the bed ordering her to sit. "You aren't leaving until Chris gets back. He can escort you home. I'd feel like a real jerk if I let a drunk woman leave without her escort."

"I'm not drunk."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Sure you aren't."

Bianca frowned at him. "You looked just like Chris when you did that." At the mention of him, her eyes closed. She sighed. "I'm in such a fucking mess. Now, I think everyone looks like him. That's just great."

Instinctively, Alex moved to her side, placing an arm around her. "Hey, don't cry. Please? If you want to talk, I'll listen. I know you don't know me very well, but I've been through a lot, so I can sympathize with just about anything."

"You're sweet, but you can't help me." She reached over to the night stand, pulling a tissue from it's square box. She blew her nose then tossed the used tissue into the trash. When she turned her attention back to him, she gazed into his green eyes for a moment. Then, she kissed him. It was soft at first, but grew harder, more passionate.

Alex tried to push her away, but his arms seemed to lose all of their strength as soon as the kiss deepened. She was one hell of a kisser. No! She was someone else's girl. He scrambled backwards falling off the bed onto his rear end. When he looked up she was covering her face with her hands. He tried to speak but no words came to mind.

She finally looked at him after several minutes had passed by. "I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. It's just...you remind me of Chris, just...sweeter." She rose from the bed and sat next to him on the floor. "You actually give a damn about how I feel." She slipped her jacket off slowly, smiling at the entranced stare she was getting from the young man. "Plus, you're here and he never was there for me."

Before he could utter his protestations, she had her tongue in his mouth, doing things that he had never thought possible. His brain clicked off and before he knew it he was helping her with her shirt. Any thoughts of Chris, Halliwells, and/or witches completely escaping him for the time being. All he knew was that the most beautiful woman he had ever met was taking off his belt and leading him to the bed.

00

Chris orbed into the manor, arms folded and a pissed look on his face. He glanced around the room and noticed that all the major players in the family were present including his parents, aunts, his uncle Kyle, and Wyatt. He sighed knowing that his chances of getting back to Bianca before the party was over were completely shot. Whatever was going down was important. Looking over at his mother, he sighed, his face softening as he saw her sympathetic look. "What's happening this time?"

"Three witches have been killed in the last two days. They were each murdered in the same way. Incineration. It seems that they have quite a bit of power too. The last witch murdered had a protective shield like Wyatt's. It didn't work." Leo stated, his pain at the loss of life evident in his voice.

Brody nodded. "One of them was my charge, Tea Nelson. I orbed in a second too late..." He shook his head fighting to regain control of his emotions. To lose a charge like that had been so hard. He felt like a failure. She had been a good friend, and her death was partly his fault. If only he could have gotten their one second faster! Paige put a supportive hand on his shoulder. He smiled grimly, nodding, knowing that he had to go on. "I saw the monster responsible for this. Well, sort of. His face was covered by a hood. I got the feeling that it wasn't a demon though. He had a human hand. Maybe a warlock?"

"So all we have to go on is that it _might_ be a warlock? That's helpful." Chris replied bitterly.

Wyatt frowned at his sibling. "Hey, it's better than nothing. Besides, I have an idea. I could go to the scene, see if maybe I could pick something up, a feeling, thought, or maybe even a vision. Aunt Pheebs, you should come too. Your powers of empathy and premonition are better tuned than mine."

Piper nodded, thinking. "Good. Brody, can take you to where it happened, and you two can see if you can get anything. Leo, you go up and stay with the elders in case they find something, that way you can know right away. Paige, you are on possible vanquishing spells. Chris, you look in the book and write down anything in there that shoots fire but may look human. Demons, fire starters, dark witches, _anything_. I'll start on whipping up vanquishing potions."

"Some things just never change do they?" Paige whispered to Pheobe, who nodded smiling.

"I heard that, Missy."

"See what I mean?"

000

Chris glanced up from the book to find his Aunt Paige staring at him. _Again_. He put down his pencil and pad, then folded his arms over his chest. When she kept giving him that strange look, he raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

The woman jerked slightly at having been ripped away from her reverie. When she noticed her youngest nephew still waiting for an answer to his question she smiled sheepishly, trying to figure out how to explain that he had just reminded her very strongly of his futureself that had died in his parents' bed. "Sorry. You just reminded me of someone."

"Who?"

Damn. She shrugged it off. "No one you know."

"You realize how strange you are sometimes, right?"

Paige was about to retort that he wasn't exactly normal himself when her oldest sister came into the room carrying several vials of freshly brewed potions. Train of thought interrupted, the youngest Charmed One turned to her sister. "Piper, what are all those?"

"Explosion, paralysis, and just plain smoke bomb in case this-whatever it is-is too much to handle during the first round." Piper shrugged at the look her sister was giving her. "What? You can never be too safe."

Catching her son's miserable appearance as he continued looking through the book, Piper felt her heart break. She had promised him that he could go to that party two weeks ago. It was one of the few times that she hadn't needed his help at the club, or Phoebe hadn't needed a babysitter for her youngest daughter Prue or Paige for Pearl. She felt badly at having called him away from his one free night. But he was the next strongest after Wyatt. Though, until they actually found the demon, did he really need to be here? Besides, maybe they didn't need him. Maybe this demon would be fine with the Power of Three and The Twice Blessed. Chris hated being left out, but he obviously didn't want to be there. "Hey, Peanut? I think Melinda can take over now. Go back to your party."

Chris frowned wondering what on earth had happened to his mother. She hated it when he went to parties. She _really_ hated it when he went to them with Bianca. His mom always had hated his latest girlfriend. So, what was with this now sympathetic mom? "What's the catch?"

"No catch. You've been working really hard at the club and babysitting Prue and Pearl. Your grades are great, so I figure you deserve to be let off demon duty this time."

A large smile gracing his lips, Chris rushed over to his mom, nearly knocking her over as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much, Mom! I really appreciate this." He pulled away, his jade eyes dancing in pure joy. "You're the best."

Just as he was about to orb out he paused. "If you need me for the vanquish, just call and I'll come back.

"Okay, Sweetie. Have fun." As he started to dematerialize into bright white and blue lights, Piper had a second thought. "Not _too_ much fun though, Mister!" She shook her head as the thought of her baby having too much fun crossed her mind. He wasn't a kid anymore, but still...eeewww. Especially it if was Bianca. She still hated that little vixen because of what she did to her son when his futureself had come back to the past. Bianca wasn't to be trusted. She felt it in her gut.

000

Chris pushed his way through the crowd as he looked for Bianca and Alex. He only vaguely heard his name called as he made his way through the crowded room. Some of the girls were trying to get his attention, but he didn't really care. There was only one girl that he wanted to see, wanted to hold. Where was she? Where was Alex? He hadn't been gone _that_ long. Spotting his friend Michael standing over by the stereo, Chris moved towards him.

"Hey, Halliwell! Glad you're back!"

Shouting over the music, Chris cut to the chase. "Have you seen Bianca?"

"Yeah, she and some kid named Alex went to that room over there. She wasn't looking so good. I would have cut in and taken her home, but she was crying. I think she might be talking to him."

"Crying?" Chris felt like such a jerk. Just because Bianca knew he was a witch-whitelighter, who had to save the world, didn't mean that she wouldn't be hurt when he had to ditch her to go off to fight demons. He probably had hurt her feelings, made her feel unimportant. She was so important to him, though. How could she not know that? "Thanks, Mikey."

Heading back to the room Mike had pointed out, Chris ran an apology in his head. Bianca didn't deserve to be treated like second best. She was the most important thing he had in his life. He loved her. Sometimes, he even got the strange feeling that they had known each other in another life, that they were destined to be together. He didn't want to lose her because of his wiccan duties. He _wouldn't_ lose her.

Opening the door, Chris paused in his tracks at the image before him. Clothes scattered around the bed, Bianca and Alex deep in the throws of love making. All thoughts escaped Chris' mind. He just stood there for a moment, wondering if this was some nightmare that he would wake up from. When the image didn't stop, when he didn't 'wake-up' the witch-whitelighter squeezed his eyes shut to block it out. His eyelashes became damp as he stood, frozen in shock and pain in the doorway for a moment. Suddenly, a mirror hanging on the wall flew to the ground shattering, pictures on the night stand flew across the room hitting the wall and cracking, and the lamp crashed to the floor.

Alex had whipped his head around at the sound of the mirror shattering and had watched in horror as the rest of the objects leapt from their places to smash into a billion pieces. It took him a moment to see Chris standing in the door shaking. He assumed the older teenager was pissed, and using his black magic to scare him. It wouldn't work. He hated witches too much to ever be scared of one. He sat up, a dark look in his normally peaceful jade eyes. "Witch."

Chris turned to Bianca, who was crying and grabbing for clothes. "How could you do this to me?" His voice was so soft, so broken. His light green eyes reflected no light in that moment, just the darkness of betrayal.

After pulling on some pants and throwing her shirt on, Bianca shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I..." She shook her head, genuine pain written on her face. "I didn't want to. You don't understand. I had to. Please, Chris, just listen to me. I'm not who you think I am. Not what you think I am. Please, I'll explain everything. Don't go."

Without saying a word, the shaggy, brown haired young man turned his back on her, walking away as quickly as his legs would carry him. He pushed past the people in the room, shoving them out of his way. When he reached the door to leave, he caught sight of Alex chasing after him, only having pulled on some jeans.Chris shook his head in disgust and threw the door open, walked out, then slammedthe heavy doorin the other's face. Swallowing down his pain, Chris moved to the wall, steadying himself. He couldn't breath, couldn't think. Everything was swimming. The woman he loved...making love to someone else...her hands caressing someone else's skin...some other man's lips on hers...their clothes on the floor. He was so upset that he didn't even think he had enough concentration to orb. So he stood, shaking next to the wall, trying hard to just remember to breath.

"Halliwell."

Chris turned slowly to the sound of the voice. It was Alex looking pissed as all hell. He turned his back on the younger man, disgusted by just the sight of him. Too disgusted to even knock his lights out, which was what he would have done had his mind not been spinning.

Alex grabbed him, spinning him around to face him. "You're a witch."

"Leave me the fuck alone." Chris replied, pushing the black haired teen's hands off him, not even caring that he had let his family's secret slip. He hurt too much right now to even realize what the other kid was saying. Nothing mattered to him right now.

"I don't think so." Without even looking to make sure no one saw, Alex re-grabbed the older witch and orbed them outside to the back alley.

Upon re-materializing, Chris pushed away from the younger man, shock clear on his face. His jade eyes wide as he took in the sight of the younger man. "What the hell? You're a whitelighter?"

"No. I'm a witch hunter." Alex replied, his eyes cold as steel. "And I'm going to make sure you can't hurt anyone ever again. You are going to pay for what your family did to my parents. I'm going to make your death as slow and painful as possible, Witch."

000

Bianca shivered as she materialized in the dark caves of the underworld. Trying as hard as possible not to cry, she moved forward from the shadows, toward the figure in the center of the room. She needed to be strong. Her mother was depending on it. "Nyru, I completed the mission. The youngest Halliwell son is broken. If you want me to finish him give the word." She was surprised by her ability to sound so cold when talking about killing the only man she had ever loved. She supposed she shouldn't be. It was what she had been trained her entire life to do: Kill anyone for the right price.

"No. Your role in this is done. My minion will handle it."

The pheonix witch frowned. "Fine. Now where is my mother?"

"You are certain he didn't know what you were?"

Bianca nodded, her brown eyes soft and sad. "Positive."

"Then take your mother. I have no more use for you." He waved his hand, causing a woman to appear out of thin air, her body badly bruised, broken, and bleeding.

Bianca raced to her mother's side, crying at the sight of her only family so badly beaten. "Mom, it's ok now. Everything is going to be fine."

"Bianca?"

"Yes, mom. It's me." Bianca wanted to cry so badly, but did not allow any tears to fall. She needed to keep up appearances. She was an assassin for hire. No assassin ever showed weakness. Even when they had nearly lost their mother, broken the heart of the only man who had ever understood her, loved her, and sent that same man to possible death. No. She wouldn't cry...couldn't think about it. Besides, Chris would be fine in the end. He would have broken up with her when he found out what she was anyway. As for the rest... he was a fighter. A Halliwell. No one could beat a Halliwell...right?

Nryu's lips curled wickedly as Bianca shimmered out with her mother in tow. Everything was going so perfectly. The youngest Halliwell son had lost his true love, and was too broken to be any competition for his young puppet. Once Christopher Halliwell was dead, his family would be too broken to fend off his minions, all lead by his greatest ally...Alex Cramer, the fire-starting whitelighter he had found and trained to perfection. Oh how the blood would flow tonight!

tbc... Remember, you keep me writing! Review and let me know what you think. :)


	8. Battle Between Blood

AN: I am really soooo sorry for not getting this out sooner, but I've been at my grandparents and they don't believe in computers. :( Hopefully this will be worth the wait.

**Battle Between Blood**

Of all the possibilities, Chris had never imagined that he would be given a death threat by a whitelighter. If he hadn't been able to feel exactly how serious of a situation he was in, the witch-whitelighter would have laughed at the irony. However, he was more than aware of how much trouble he was in. This kid looked like he really would kill him given the opportunity. Alex's normally bright jade eyes were dark, sinister and full of an intent that was unmistakable.

A thousand thoughts raced through the young Halliwell's mind. Each little idea bumped against another, creating mass chaos and general fuzziness. Chris shook his head wanting to clear those thoughts away, but he couldn't. This was just too strange. His mind couldn't grasp the fact that a so called pacifist was going to try to kill him. Had the elders messed up yet again? Was that what this was about? Maybe he was taking out his rage at being a whitelighter on the witches he was meant to protect? Yeah, that could be it. Not everyone _wants_ to live forever. Some people must want to go on to the afterlife and see those gone before them. Maybe he had purposefully gotten to know Chris because his father was an Elder he wanted to punish. Alex had said something about Chris' family hurting his parents though...what did that mean? "My family would never hurt an innocent. Not purposefully."

Alex began shaking in anger. His hands clenched into fists, turning white after a moment. His jaw became even more tight and his eyes narrowed even further. The color of his eyes was no longer just dark with animosity, but Chris would have sworn he could see lightening flashing in the dark storm clouds of the other boy's eyes. Alex was the phrase 'pissed off' personified. "Never hurt an innocent, huh? Tell that to my mother you bastard!"

Chris wasn't sure what was happening at first. He just felt warm. Then he felt more than warm, he felt very, very hot. Glancing down at his shirt, he saw the flames dancing along the bottom hem but didn't react immediately. He had no idea how his favorite green tee had ignited into flames. The confusion held him still for a moment. Had Alex really managed to create fire? How was that possible? He was a whitelighter, and they just aren't capable of that. So how had it happened?

When his nerves finally kicked in, the older boy hissed in pain as the fire started licking his skin. Before any more of him started to burn, Chris orbed out. He hadn't really thought on a specific location to orb to, just some place with a lot of water. He hadn't meant to orb _into_ a lake. When he materialized, he was so surprised by the cold that he gasped, causing a flood of water into his mouth, choking him. Quickly adjusting to the cold, the witch-whitelighter managed to concentrate enough to orb out of the lake and back into the alley, sputtering and trying to catch his breath as he re-materialized.

At first he wasn't sure why he went back to the alley. He figured any sane person would have just gone home to change into dry clothes. Maybe even sit in a nice warm bath. They definitely would not have gone back into battle against a person with unknown abilities alone. Then again, as his family had always reminded him, he wasn't sane; he was neurotic. Why fight nature, then? He was curious about what Alex was that he could orb _and_ start fires. He was also determined to find out the truth regarding the younger boy's parents. So, once he had managed to get the water out of his lungs, Chris merely grinned at the younger boy's shocked expression. "I hope you're happy. This was my favorite shirt."

"You...you turned into light," Alex's tenor voice was shaking, not in anger, but in confusion. In Chris' opinion it was an improvement.

"Orbing." Chris replied taking an unconscious step forward. "You do know that's what you do, right?"

Alex became indignant. "Of course I do! I'm a witch hunter. I know everything there is to know about magic. Orbing is a sign of good. You must have stolen it from a...a," he paused looking for the word Chris had used earlier. "A whitelighter. You killed him and then took his power. You'll pay for his death as well as those of my parents."

"I didn't steal it. My father is an elder. I inherited it from him. You'd know that if you really knew as much about the magical world as you think you do. The Halliwells are the most famous family in the history of magic. My ancestors have been fighting evil since the times of Melinda Warren. You do know who she is right? I mean, any self respecting magical creature does."

Alex hedged, not having a clue who this Melinda was. The only thing he could think to do was react with the anger he felt running through him."It doesn't matter. You're nothing but a liar. Your family doesn't fight evil. It _is_ evil! My mother tried to warn me about you when she was _dying in my arms_. What you don't seem to understand is that I _saw_ the witch kill her! Heard my mother speak your family name with the last breath she had, so nothing you can say will save you. Not jibberish about orbing or family trees or some old woman who is long dead. Nothing!"

"I'm sorry about your mom. I almost lost my mom four years ago. I was terrified; I knew that if she was gone I might not survive the pain. I can only imagine what you must be going through, having lost both your parents."

"Shut up!" Alex started tearing up, his face red with a mixture of anger and grief. "You can't say sorry now! You can't! She is dead because of you people, so don't think that your saying a few nice words is going to change my mind! I'm going to kill you, Chris! Does that not register in your mind? I want to see you die, and all you can do is chit chat! What kind of a fucking idiot are you?"

"The determined kind." Chris replied shrugging. "I just want to get to the truth. I want to help you. You seem really hurt and confused. I figure you could really use a friend right now. Someone who understands what it's like to be part of a world that has so much evil in it. Part of a world where you have responsibility you don't feel ready for, that you don't even want because it makes you a freak in the eyes of others. Just let me try to help. Give me a chance to figure out what really happened to your parents, and then we'll work together to vanquish whatever demon did it."

"Demon?" Alex asked, his voice detached. He focused his eyes on Chris' and the lack of feeling behind them made the older boy shudder. He seemed so different from the shy, kind boy that the Halliwell son had met on the tracks that day. This teenager looked lost, yet very...dangerous. The boy was on the edge of a very steep cliff. One step in the wrong direction and the kid might slip off, taking Chris down with him.

"Yeah, a demon...I mean, maybe they were trying to trick you or something. Make you hate my family because we'd be able to help you..."

"Help me..." Alex frowned, tilting his head, staring at Chris intently. He took a step forward.

It wasn't until the younger boy was only a few inches away that Chris noticed Alex's hands shaking by his sides. The Halliwell lifted his eyes to focus on the other's face. It seemed so numb, unfeeling. Except his eyes. They were no longer unfeeling. They were steely...lethal. Chris tried to back away when he saw those eyes turn from icy confusion to fire-like hate, but he couldn't move fast enough. Alex grabbed him by the shirt and with a strength that surprised his former friend, slammed the older teenager into the wall.

"Help me, he says. Confused and hurt he says. I say that you need to fucking die, you lying bastard!"

Chris tried to orb out, but the other boy held fast to him, preventing it. He tried to telekinetically throw Alex back, but all that accomplished was to send both of them flying to the ground as the attacker kept his grip and brought Chris down with him. The Halliwell struggled to try to get free once they hit the cement, but Alex punched him in the face, causing his vision to blur. He felt another hit and another. His nose was bleeding now. Thoroughly pissed, Chris jerked back his elbow hitting his adversary in the nose as hard as he could; it broke causing Alex's eyes to water, his grip loosening instinctively.

Chris slipped away, scrambling on his hands and knees, still too dizzy from the earlier hit to stand. Just as he was about to orb out, he felt hands grip his ankle jerking him backwards and down. Chris rolled onto his side and gestured widely with his hand, and this time Alex couldn't keep a strong enough hold on him. The younger youth flew into the wall, slumping to the ground.

Rising to his feet, Chris let out a breath. He had thought he had won. Had been confident that the kid was unconscious upon hitting the wall. It wasn't until he saw the flames surrounding him that Chris turned and saw a rage filled Alex glowering with arm raised. It was the last image he would ever see.

000

Alex had never seen his power work like this before. So fast, so intense. Then again, he had never bee as angry before either. Chris had lied, made him question what he knew in his heart to be the truth. Witches were the enemy. He had felt doubt for the first time tonight. It was dead now, though. It died the moment Chris' body had burst into flames, consuming the witch so fast that he couldn't even orb to safety.

Rising slowly, his vision burred and spinning, the witch hunter gazed upon the flames and knew that part of him was dead. He had not just killed a witch this evening. He had killed a friend. Friend. Had he really considered that witch a friend? Yeah, he had. Chris had been nice to him. It had only been an act though. No one really cared about him. Not since his mom died. He was a freak of nature. A loser.

_I figure you could really use a friend right now. Someone who understands what it's like to be part of a world that has so much evil in it. Part of a world where you have responsibility you don't feel ready for, that you don't even want because it makes you a freak in the eyes of others._

It. Had. Been. An. **ACT**. So why was Alex tearing up? Why did he suddenly have a very strong urge to throw up? His doubt was dead. He was right to kill witches. All witches. So why did Chris' death matter? Why did he feel like allowing the flame to just take his life too?

"Was he right? God, please tell me. Have I been tricked? Did I just kill someone who could have actually understood me? Who might have cared?" He sank back to the ground, allowing his tears to flow. Knees curled up to his chest, Alex allowed his head to fall on them as he cried. It was the first time he had cried since his mother had died.

After a while, Alex raised his head, wiping away his tears. He was shaking with cold, the kind that was not found in ice or wind or rain, but the kind that begins in the heart and spreads to the blood and bones. Fear. Fear that he was wrong. Fear of being what he despised most...a killer. If Chris had been right, then all those witches...he had killed them...he would be the bad guy. He would be a murderer. He couldn't believe Chris. Chris had to be a liar. Then why did he hurt so much? Why did the guilt threaten to smother him?

"Where the hell is my brother?"

tbc...


	9. Chris' Legacy Revealed

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I live for them, so keep 'em coming. ;)

CHAPTER 9

**Chris' Legacy Revealed**

Wyatt sighed as he watched his Aunt Pheobe try to force a premonition. It wasn't working. Neither one of them had picked up anything on the ashes of the witch except for the feeling of fear and a flash of her face before death. Nothing about who had actually done it. The Twice Blessed Witch was frustrated to say the least.

He sighed and moved over to the wall, leaning against it. He needed to clear his mind after hearing the victim's screams. She had been in so much pain. Burning to death would have to be such a terrible way to die. He couldn't imagine the terror and pain such a death would cause. Well, actually, he kind of could now. He had felt her fear and pain with his empathy as though he had been the one to burn. He had heard her thoughts as she prayed for her family, and knew that the last thought dwelled on her daughter, Susie. It had broken his heart to hear her pleas go out for her loved ones instead of her own survival.

Even though he had heard and felt the death as though it was his own, Wyatt at least knew that those thoughts and feelings would end and that his life would go on once he muted his powers. The victim didn't have that reassurance. The young man closed his eyes, trying not to think about it. He needed to have a clear mind in order to help find whoever was responsible for killing all the witches. To avenge the mother and all the others. No one should have to die by fire.

After taking a few deep breaths to rejuice his mental battery, Wyatt pushed off from the wall, and prepared to start another telepathic sweep of the alley, hopefully getting the thoughts of the killer this time. Maybe even a name or place to track the demon by.

Closing his eyes Wyatt concentrated and finally succeeded in picking up something. It just wasn't at all what he expected to hear. _"My mother wasn't evil. You monsters killed her. Now...you can all burn." _The thought jolted Wyatt back to reality. He turned around quickly, nearly knocking down his uncle Kyle. "I got something! I heard him! I don't think this is what we thought it was."

Brody frowned, shaking his head. "What do you mean, Wyatt?"

"I mean that I don't think this guy is completely evil."

Pheobe exchanged a confused look with her brother-in-law. She turned to her oldest nephew, an uncertainty in her brown eyes. "Honey, what do you mean? He killed three witches. That's pretty evil in my opinion."

"He sounded so hurt and confused, Aunt Pheebs. He said that witches killed his mother. He was exacting revenge for her death. While I know that's wrong and he needs to be punished, I can understand how that would push someone over the edge. I don't know what I would do if someone had succeeded in killing mom."

Pheobe thought to herself how close Wyatt had been to almost knowing exactly what he would have done. If his brother from the future hadn't let slip to his grandpa Victor how old he was when Piper died, then she would have been killed by that demon. Because they knew Chris would be fourteen, they were extra careful, and Leo never left her side. He was able to heal her after the attack and the Power of three vanquished that sorry thorn demon. "So, did you get any idea of what this guy was?"

"He sounded young, but as for what he is I have no idea. Sorry."

"It's okay, Sweetie. We'll just keep trying. At least we know that a psychic trail is still here."

Wyatt nodded and prepared to clear his mind once more when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Falling onto his knees, the twenty-year old grabbed his chest groaning in pain. Brody was by his side in an instant, and without remembering that Wyatt was more than capable of healing himself, he raised his hands expecting the familiar golden glow to start healing his nephew. Nothing happened.

When Wyatt looked up tears were in his eyes. "Chris. I'm picking up on Chris." He screamed out again. "Wyatt, help!" His voice strained as he screamed out what he heard in his mind.

Brody closed his eyes to sense for Chris, ready to go heal his nephew. He didn't pick up on anything. That frightened him more than anything. Either Chris had been taken to the underworld or...

Silence took hold of the alley as Pheobe held her now shaky, eldest nephew. His screams had stopped but the tears hadn't. She rubbed circles on his back and looked to Kyle for guidance and information. When the whitelighter's mouth simply fell open and his skin paled, the Aunt swallowed hard, fearing the worst. Her own tears threatened to choke her as she fought to stop from sobbing. She had to have hope. Chris could not be dead. They couldn't have lost him again! Not again!

Without a word, Wyatt jerked away from his Aunt and orbed out of the alley leaving Brody to kneel next to Pheobe holding her close. He shook his head. "If anyone can find Chris, it's his brother, Pheobe. Besides, Wyatt's healing power is stronger than anyone elses. If Chris is dying..." He winced as his sister-in-law sobbed. Bad word choice. "Uh, if he's bad off, Wyatt has the best chance of bringing him back. Don't give up hope yet. Without hope, we have nothing left."

"I think you've been spending too much time with Leo. You're starting to sound like him."

"Well, it's the truth. I'm sure Chris is going to be just fine." Even as he said the words, Brody's heart cried out for his family. If Chris was really gone...would they be able to go on?

000

"Where the hell is my brother?"

Wyatt stepped out of the shadows, his eyes no longer the color of the sky but the shade of the sea during a storm. They remained focused on the young man slumped against the wall. Whoever it was must have seen Chris. The Twice Blessed Witch wasn't about to leave here until the kid had told him everything he had seen and heard. If he wouldn't tell him voluntarily, then the Halliwell witch was more than ready to force the matter.

The youth by the wall slowly raised his head, his eyes even in the darkness of the falling night appeared red, puffy and full of sorrow. His whole body radiated loss. He didn't seem to care that Wyatt looked angry enough to beat the shit out of him. The kid just looked numb. Blinking slowly, the stranger shook his head. "Why?"

Confused and irritated by the comment Wyatt moved forward, grabbing the younger man by the shirt and shoving him against the wall. "I know he was here. I know you must have seen what happened to him. Tell me damn it! Shaggy brown hair, green eyes, lean and tall. You know who I'm talking about. He was hurt and you must have seen it happen, so tell me!"

"Chris..."

Taken back, Wyatt loosened his grip. "You knew him?"

The boy lowered his head unable to force his voice to work. Just thinking about Chris made him feel like being sick...or using his power on himself. He wasn't sure which he would do at the moment.

"What happened to him?"

The boy's green eyes drifted to a pile of ashes then back to Wyatt's shoes. Catching the stranger's gaze Wyatt followed it and nearly collapsed at what he saw. As it was he felt ill and needed to support himself up on the wall. The pile of ashes...that couldn't be...oh God...Chris? "No. That can't be..." Tears welled in his eyes at the thought.

"I think I was wrong." The green eyed youth seemed to be talking more to himself than Wyatt. "He was nice to me. I don't think it was an act, but then that would mean..." His voice dropped. "I'm a murderer of innocents. I-I killed Chris..."

Wyatt's head whipped around at the confession. "What?"

"I'm sorry." Alex replied, tears falling down his cheeks again.

The Twice Blessed Witch was shaking, his face contorted in rage. His blue eyes grew darker than the shadows. Shoving his brother's killer into the wall with as much force as he could, Wyatt's whole demeanor changed. He didn't remember the feeling of confusion and pain that he had picked up in the alley earlier. Didn't remember saying that the killer didn't seem evil. All he cared about was hurting the person responsible for taking his brother away from him. "You're sorry? You son of a bitch! You killed my best friend and brother all in one and you expect sorry to be enough? No fucking way! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to him. I'm going to rip you limb from limb and when I'm through I'll heal you just to do it all over again, you hear me, you bastard!"

Shoving Alex to the ground, Wyatt raised his hands letting the lightening flow through them and into the frightened youth. "It's your turn to burn asshole."

000

Prue turned away from the image of her eldest nephew and great nephew, noticing that her mother and Grams did the same. She couldn't believe this was happening. Everything was falling to hell and as usual the Elders were doing nothing to stop it. Well, she wasn't going to let her family fall apart. She wasn't going to give up until she fixed this mess. The former Charmed One turned on her heel, intending to head out to find reinforcements.

"Prue?"

The dark haired woman turned at the sound of her mother's voice. "I'm not going to stand by and watch this happen."

"What can you possibly do to stop it? We're dead. This isn't our job anymore. We have no say in what happens down there." Grams cut in.

Prue shook her head. "Maybe we can't do anything, but there is somone who can, and no one is going to stop me from helping him as much as I can." She didn't wait to hear the response before leaving to find the one person who could help her change all of this, or in all actuality, stop it from happening in the first place.

Seeing who it was she was looking for, Prue paused and put on a small, unsure smile. "Chris?"

The dark haired youth turned around and when Prue saw him, her breath caught in her throat. He looked different. Granted his hair was the same, build and clothes too, but in his eyes, she saw that he was different. He did not look like the happy go lucky young man she had been watching for eighteen years. The jade eyes normally bright and hopeful were dark and resigned. The way he held himself did not show any of the confidence he normally portrayed. He looked tired. When he offered her a dark smile, a feeling of familiarity arose within her. This wasn't her sister's son, yet...it was.

"Aunt Prue." He lowered his eyes, staring at the white floor. In that moment, he looked so young, so unsure of himself. It was as if he were afraid of rejection. Definitely not how the Chris she had watched grow up would behave.

Even his tone was different when he spoke: softer yet steady all at once. As though he were trained to control his voice. Trained to cover up his uncertainty, but wanting to reveal some of it too. Prue found herself truly smiling when he spoke next, the same tone used. "It's nice to finally meet you." A regular Mr. Manners, like mother like son.

"I wish it were under better circumstances."

Chris let out a short, airy laugh, that was almost as melancholy as his smile had been. "Yeah. Me too."

Noticing his Aunt giving him a strange look, the youngest son of Piper Halliwell knew that she had seen the change in him. He had known that she would be watching her family from up here, known that she was expecting someone who wasn't really here, known that she would notice the difference right away. Shoving his hands into his pockets he sighed, finally forcing himself to look his mother's hero in the eyes. "I'm not the Chris you think I am. I want that to be clear."

"I got that feeling. What I don't understand is what happened to the Chris who just died."

Chris smiled sorrowfully again, a distant look in his eyes. "Mom was right, you never waste time beating around the bush."

His aunt recognized the pain in his voice. She had often had that same quality in her own tone when speaking about her mother. She had always known that she and this Chris were a lot a like, but until this very moment it had never struck her how terrible a thing that could be. Lost mothers, dead-beat dads, and a responsibility that never seemed to end. Her heart went out to him. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through. I always wanted to tell you that."

The young man's face reddened slightly. It was obvious no one had ever told him that before. After a moment he collected himself and cleared his throat to ease the tension. "Yeah, well it doesn't really matter anymore. I had the chance to live the life of my dreams in the end. Brother that isn't evil, a dad that's around, and mom's alive. It's great."

"Only it isn't and you know it." Prue folded her arms over her chest staring at him inquisitively. "You aren't really living that life. You feel like someone else is. That's why you're up here and he isn't, right?"

"He's in here too. I mean, I remember both lives; it's just that the first life was not only longer, but the memories from it were stronger. The pain, the struggles, the passion, everything about that life just resounds in my mind right now. Maybe it will even out eventually, I don't know."

"So, let me see if I understand this. You remember both lives now that you're dead, but the first life was the more powerful of the two so that's the persona you have right now?"

"Well, from what I can figure out since each person only has one soul no matter what, now that I'm up here, it's free to remember both the lives in which it's existed. Make a little more sense?"

"Yes, I guess." Prue frowned, thinking. "Actually this may work out better than I had initially thought. I knew I would need your help to save him, and now that you remember what happened it will make that easier."

"You're talking about Alex." Chris let out a breath shaking his head. When he spoke his voice was full of self-loathing. "I can't believe I was so careless, so selfish. I knew better than that. Now, look what's happening. My brother is about to kill my son. Everything I did to make the future better is going to be for nothing once Wyatt takes that first step. My death is going to be the trigger that turns him evil this time. Not to mention what Alex's life has been like because of me. I did what I swore I would never do. I abandoned my child just like Leo did to me."

Prue moved forward putting a reassuring hand on her nephew's shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have known this was going to happen. Besides, from what I've seen of both your lives, I know that you are just as smart, strong-willed and determined as I am, so together we're going to fix this."

"How?"

"You have enough power to get to earth. You won't be able to stay long once the Elders find out you've left the heavens, so you're going to have to make every moment count, which is why it's so perfect that you got your memories back. Tell them the truth. Get them to stop fighting long enough to understand the situation."

"I don't know if I can do that. How am I supposed to explain why I was in the past in the first place? I refuse to tell my brother that he was an evil tryrant, Prue."

"Keep it simple. Tell him that you went there to save him. Nothing more." She moved closer to him, holding his green eyes with her blue pair. "Chris, the fate of our family is depending on your ability to convince Wyatt to go back through time and fix this. It's the only way to solve all our problems."

Chris frowned. "Are you planning on me convincing my brother to stop me and Anne from...you know?"

"No. Alex is supposed to be here. He has a destiny that needs to be fufilled. Things just got a little messed up."

"So what should I tell Wyatt to do?"

Prue smiled. "Don't worry so much. Wyatt's smart. He'll figure it out."

"You really think I can pull this off?"

"Yeah, I do, but you're going to need some help, though."

Chris frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "Why do I have the feeling you aren't just talking about yourself?"

"Well, if she is as smart a woman as I have come to believe she is, then she'll be talking about me."

Chris turned to the sound of the refined voice. "Anne?"

"You remember me."

The witch-whitelighter nodded, a small, sad smile playing on his lips. "You're Alex's mother. Of course I would know you."

Prue moved between the two young parents. "I hate to break this little reunion short, but you two have a son to save. Chris, make sure Wyatt stops this from happening in the first place. Have him go back to before this all started. You know what spell to give him."

Chris nodded then turned to the woman he had met all those years ago. A woman he had felt a connection to and leaned on during one of the worst nights of his life. The mother of his son. When he looked at her beautiful face, her blue eyes so full of determination, his jade pair softened, knowing that under different circumstances they might have been good together. He extended a hand. "Ready?"

"I have to be."

With that, Chris and Anne went up in a swirl of golden lights. Prue watched on hoping with all her heart that her plan worked.

000

Alex convulsed on the ground as the lightening coursed through his body. Every nerve he had seemed to be on fire. He didn't mind. In fact, the pain almost made him feel better about everything that had happened, everything he had done. If he was truly a killer, than this was the fate he deserved. This pain would be his way of paying back those he had killed. The teen didn't even try to fight back. He didn't have the will to.

"Wyatt, stop it!"

The victim of the attack attempted to raise his head to see who was speaking, but found that he didn't have the strength. All he could do was listen to the conversation and wonder who had attempted to save him. The voice sounded so familiar to him...Alex strained to hear the conversation.

"Chris?" Wyatt's voice whispered.

Alex frowned wondering what was wrong with his attacker. Chris was dead. Murdered. This was why he was currently lying on the ground, possibly dying. How could Wyatt possibly even think that Chris was there? How could he mistake someone else for his own brother? He tried to raise his head again, finally succeeding, but he couldn't see who was talking. Whoever it was, Wyatt was blocking them from vision.

"Wyatt, I don't have much time here, so you're going to have to listen carefully. Alex is my son."

The youngest Halliwell finally found the strength to lift himself up. Standing unsteadily, he heard the remark of the stranger and nearly fell back down. Instead he blinked, staring toward the man Wyatt was speaking to. It looked like Chris. However, he knew that Chris was dead. He had killed him. Besides, Chris couldn't be his father. That was ludicrous. The guy was only a year older than him. If his head wasn't still spinning, he would have said as much. He probably would have been angry at this guy claiming to be his father too. His father was dead, had been since before he was born. What was this stranger smoking that he thought he could pull of this stupid lie?

"Chris, what are you talking about? That's Alex. He's not from the future...is he?"

"No, he's not." Chris replied moving closer to Alex, trying to get the younger teenager's attention. "In another timeline I went back in time in order to save my brother, and when I was there I met your mom, Alex. She helped me through a really hard time. It resulted in you. I didn't even know. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that your life has been so hard because I wasn't around for you. I couldn't protect you like a father should."

Alex snapped in that moment. This guy was not going to pretend to be his father, taint his father's memory like this. No way. "Shut up! You are not my father! He is dead. Has been since before I was born. You're nothing but a liar. Chris is dead, so you can't be him either, and there is no way that Chris was my dad anyway. You're insane if you think I'm going to listen to this."

"Sweetheart?"

The young man froze as he heard that voice. It was a voice hadn't heard in such a long time. A voice he would have given his soul to hear just one more time. He turned to face the owner of it. "Mum?"

Anne stood next to Chris a sorrowful look on her face. "I am so sorry I lied to you."

"Mum? How is this possible? How can you be here?" He shook his head, not believing that this was actually happening. Was it really her? Or was it some sort of trick? What did she mean by lie? "Mum, what's going on?"

With tears in her eyes, Anne took a breath, shared a look with Chris then turned back to her son. "Alex, Christopher Perry isn't your father. Christopher Perry Halliwell is your father. Everything he said is true."

tbc...


	10. It's a very, very, very, very messed up ...

CHAPTER 10

**It's a very, very, very, very messed up world.**

Wyatt stared in shock at his brother as the spirit of a woman explained the story of their one night stand back in the past. He couldn't believe this. As a Halliwell, a lot of strange things had happened in their family, but his brother having a kid the same age as him was just too much to take in. Chris was his little brother; he wasn't supposed to be a father yet, and definitely not to someone only a year younger than him. He felt like sinking onto the ground and just staying there for the rest of his life, blinking numbly and thinking about how messed up this situation was.

As Anne held a now teary Alex in her arms, telling him the truth regarding the Halliwells and how Nyru had been using his confusion against him, Chris reluctantly turned away from them toward his brother. Noticing how pale his sibling was, the spirit grinned. "Wyatt Matthew Halliwell speechless. Who would have thought it possible?"

Wyatt raised his eyes slowly to meet the jade pair of his brother. He felt horrible. He had almost killed his own nephew! God, that sounded weird. Still, he didn't know why he should be surprised. The unbelievable always seemed to occur in their family. Like his younger brother going to the past to save his life as an infant. That in itself is something not a lot of people would experience. For Wyatt, it was almost normal. Almost. There was something about it that nagged him. Made him think it wasn't normal, that something major had happened besides Alex's conception. Wyatt knew in his heart what it was. "Why did you really go to the past, Chris?"

"We don't have time for this, Wyatt. I need you to do something for me."

The older brother stared into his sibling's eyes and saw something different in them. Something foreign. Even the tone of his voice was strange. Chris never had spoken to him so sharply before, with such authority. It was no secret that his kid brother had always been slightly intimidated by him, but now, no fear was shown. Was it because he was dead, or because of something else... "No. Make time. I want to know why you went to protect someone who is stronger than you. Even as a baby I had more power than you, Chris. It doesn't make sense. Your story just doesn't make sense. You're hiding something. I want to know what."

Chris closed his eyes. His voice was small when he spoke, so soft Wyatt had to strain to hear the words. "I saved you from turning evil."

"I see." Wyatt nodded his head, accepting what he had feared was the truth. He had dreams sometimes...horrible dreams filled with death, the smell of blood. There was one in which his brother and he were fighting. It was the worst of them all. He tried to kill his sibling. The thought made him ill during the waking hours, but at night, his mind thrived on it, forcing him to watch it happen over and over again. So, when Chris spoke those words, no elaboration was needed. It was the truth. He had been evil. He wasn't now, though, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm sorry you had to find out. I hoped you never would."

Wyatt frowned, as he pieced together the other thing that was bothering him. "You aren't my brother. I mean you are...the one I tried to kill before. The one who did the saving and the impregnating and the...the dying..."

"Dying. How did you-?"

The man shrugged. "I felt it. Besides it explains a lot. Why you act so differently than my Chris, why everyone was so protective of him, and most of all why I never heard about my brother the savior. It wasn't because I was evil, and mom and dad were worried about hurting my feelings. It was because you died. They couldn't stand thinking about it. That's why Alex thought his father was dead too. Anne told him that because in a way you were."

The younger brother was about to reply when he felt a pair of eyes boring into his skull. He turned to see Alex staring at him. "Alex, I wish I could tell you everything I want to, but we don't have time. You got to see your mom, and I hope that is enough because the elders are going to realize we're down here, and all heaven will break loose."

Alex shook his head. "It's not enough. I went without a father for so long, Chris. Now, I find out the truth and I don't know whether to be overjoyed or really pissed off. I have a father, but he's only a year older than me. It's like giving me a Christmas present, but telling me I can't open it."

"I'm sorry, Alex. This is my fault. I know that. I should never have been so reckless, so selfish. I hope that one day you can forgive me." Chris grinned slightly. "I mean, you did get to kill me, so I figure that makes up for some of it."

A tear slid down the young man's face. "That's not funny. I killed my own father and the only friend I've ever had because I was stupid enough to be manipulated." Alex's eyes suddenly grew wide as he realized something he had forgotten. "Oh, god. I slept with Bianca. I'm not suffering from an Oepidus complex. I _am_ Oepidus."

"You won't be when this is over. Hopefully you'll get the life you deserve."

"What do you need me to do, Chris?" Wyatt asked, ignoring the look Alex was shooting him.

"He's my father. I should do it." The youngest Halliwell snapped.

Chris and Anne exchanged looks as they felt the tug to return to the clouds. The young father turned to Alex, unsure what to say to comfort him. "You should stay here, Alex. It's not safe to time travel, and Wyatt has more experience."

"Time travel?"

Nodding, "Yeah. It's the only way to undo all of this."

"Am I going to cease to exist if he does this?" Alex asked, white terror in his eyes at the thought of eternal nothingness.

Anne moved to her son's side, wrapping her arms around him again. "You'll be fine. I promise. Everything is going to be okay." She turned to Chris as she felt a stronger pull upward. Facing her son, she cupped his face with her hands. "You're going to get the life you should have had. Know that I love you, and don't worry, your uncle won't let anything bad happen to you."

Wyatt pulled a face at the word 'uncle'.

"Wyatt, draw the triquetra, then say this spell: hear these words, hear this rhyme, head the hope within my mind, send me back to where I'll find what I seek through space and time." Chris looked upwards, knowing that their time was up. He only hoped Wyatt could remember the spell. "Do you got it?"

"Chris, what am I supposed to do? Where do I go? I'm not like you. Strategies are _not_ my thing." Wyatt noticed the former lovers exchange a look of dread right before they started to dematerialize. The Elders had caught them. "CHRIS!"

"You'll know what to do Wy." The voice of his brother, best friend, and savior called down to him as he left Wyatt for the second time that day.

Alex noticed things starting to get blurry. "Wyatt? I still feel kinda..."

"Kinda what?" Wyatt snapped turning in time to see the teenager tumble to the ground. He sighed. "Oh." Kneeling down next to his nephew, the Twice Blessed Witch raised his hands over the boy healing his injuries. When familiar jade green eyes looked up at him Wyatt wasn't sure whether to smile or be ill. This was just wrong. "Feel better?"

"What'd you do?" Alex glanced down, examining himself. "It's like you never attacked me. How is that possible?"

"It's called healing. I'm part whitelighter. It's what we do." Wyatt rolled his eyes impatiently as Alex just blinked at him. "Just accept it and let's move on, okay? We have lives to save."

The younger Halliwell frowned. "Don't you still want me dead? I killed your brother and those women. I'm the evil your family fights to stop."

Wyatt paused in his own thoughts at those words. Turning to face the young man, he saw true pain and guilt in those eyes so similar to the brother now lost. Alex was all he had of Chris right now. Alex was Chris' son, regardless of the strange circumstances. As his mother always said, 'family trumps all else.' He put a hand on the younger man's shoulder, his face softening for the first time since they met. "You _are_ family."

"So that just fixes everything?"

"No, but I can. When I go back in time, I'll change everything so that those witches are still alive and so that Chris is too. You'll have your mom alive and well, and hopefully I can convince her to trust us this time. Everything is going to work out perfectly."

Alex smiled shyly. "Thanks."

Wyatt offered him a smile in return. "I should go. Get things rolling, you know? I will see ya when I get back, I guess." He then started to orb out to the manor.

The Twice Blessed Witch appeared in the Halliwell's attic moments later. Grabbing a piece of chalk from the table, he moved quickly to the wall and started drawing the family symbol. When he was finished he took a step back to examine his artwork. He was no Leonardo, but he figured it would work. "Hear these words, here this rhyme, head the hope within my mind. Send me back to where I'll find what I seek through space and time."

A blue portal snapped into position where the triquetra had been. Wyatt took a deep breath then stepped through. Little did he know that someone had followed him.

000

At a towering book shelf, Chris Halliwell was glancing at the titles of the books in front of him. He stops and pulls out a book, frowns at it and turns to Gideon, who is working with Paige at a nearby table, writing a spell. "You should really update the time travel section. I could find more information googling."

Gideon has no idea, and frowns confused. "Googling...?"

"Never mind." Chris turned his attention to his aunt. "How's that spell coming?"

About to answer that it was going the same as it was when he asked five minutes ago, Paige's mouth froze open in surprise, not a syllable coming out. She just blinked in shock at what she saw. After Chris asked her what was wrong, she raised a hand and pointed to the object of her shock. "Uh, they friends of yours?"

Chris climbed down the ladder he was on and peered over to where Paige was pointing. When he saw what it was she was staring at his heart nearly stopped. "Wyatt."

"Oh, crap." Wyatt stared into the face of his older, younger brother and knew that he had messed up somehow. He had planned on ending up at the time when Anne was pregnant not when future Chris was still in the past. This was not good.

"Wyatt, is that Chris?"

The Twice Blessed Witch closed his eyes in frustration. "Alex, what the hell are you doing here?" He opened his eyes to pointedly glare at this nephew. "I told you I would handle this."

"I'm going to save my father and there is nothing you can do to stop me, Wyatt."

Wyatt turned on him. "We can't! That's not how it goes. We are here to save you. Actually _I'm_ here to save you. Go home. I don't need you here." He paused in his ranting long enough to realize what must have happened to cause the mix up in time. "You were pushing your desire and thoughts about saving him on me. I must have picked up on it telepathically and that was what was on my mind when I said the spell. Damn it, Alex!"

Paige frowned as she watched the two men argue. Addressing Chris, she asked, "Is that Wyatt? And who is the other kid?"

"Yeah that's Wyatt. As for the other witch...I have no idea." Chris moved forward toward the two younger men. "What's going on? Wyatt, what are you doing here? Who is this?"

Wyatt reached out to stop Alex from saying anything, but the younger witch orbed out and behind Chris, as though the younger brother would be able to protect him from the Twice Blessed Witch's wrath. "We're here to fix the future. To make sure that no one dies. Including my mom and dad."

"Dies? From what?" Chris asked looking for answers from his brother.

Glaring at his nephew Wyatt rushed forward trying to cover his mouth, Alex was faster and moved away just as Wyatt grabbed air. The eldest son of Piper Halliwell let out a frustrated breath. "Alex. Future. Changing as we speak. Shut. Up."

"A demon kills my mom. I don't know what killed my dad. I'm going to find out though, so don't worry."

Chris' hand went through his hair as he tried to make sense of any of this. Who was this kid? Why was he with Wyatt? It seemed clear to Chris that his older brother wasn't very fond of the young man, so why put up with him? Why let him get close enough to mess up a mission like this? Whatever mission it was that Wyatt was on that is. Chris turned to Paige. "Do you understand what they're going on about?"

"Chris, we came to save you." Alex started as Wyatt finally grabbed hold of him, clamping his hand firmly over the other boy's mouth. He screamed and struggled against the older man's grip, but it didn't work. Wyatt wasn't letting go.

"Don't mind us, Chris. We are going to be getting out of here, as soon as possible and going to the time I actually meant to go to in the first place. Right after I drop him off back home, that is."

Chris folded his arms over his chest. "Wyatt, what's going on? You obviously aren't evil, which is refreshing, but you're still as confusing as ever, which is getting old real fast."

It was at that moment Alex chose to bite down hard on his uncle's hand, causing it to release his mouth. "You're my father and someone is going to kill you!"

tbc...


	11. Losing It

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! You are all amazing!

CHAPTER 11

**Losing It**

"You're my father and someone is going to kill you!"

Chris blinked. His mind was unable to process what he had just heard. Of all the things the kid could have told him, the younger son of Piper Halliwell never imagined that those words would be the ones to spill from the energetic young man's mouth. It just didn't make any sense. There was no logic behind it. All the science in the world couldn't explain how it was possible. First of all Alex seemed to be about sixteen or so, which would make him only six years younger than Chris. From a biological stand point, there was no way Chris would physically be able to become a father at only five years of age. The kid couldn't be from the far future either because Wyatt looked younger than Chris. A good year or two younger. Unless the kid was from far off in the future and had somehow jumped to Wyatt's time and asked for his help in this time, but that really didn't make any sense being as Wyatt said he came to save Alex...save him from what anyway? God his head hurt. Time travel was truly evil.

Ripping out of his uncle's grasp, Alex moved to stand in front of his father, gazing up at the man that was now a good three inches taller than him. "Chris, don't worry. Everything is going to be okay. Wyatt and I aren't going to let anything happen to you this time."

This time? Chris moved his jade eyes to focus on Wyatt's ice blue pair. His brother wouldn't look at him. It was true. He was going to die in the past. How? Had he been right? Was he going to cease to exist because of the changes he had made? No, that couldn't be it. Otherwise how would those two be able to save him? Murdered? Who would want him dead? The threat on Wyatt was over...wasn't it? Wyatt seemed to be good, so he had succeeded, right? Still, maybe someone in league with the game masters was after him at this very moment. Unable to keep his thoughts focused enough to come to any logical conclusion, Chris turned to look at his son.

"Mum said someone killed you, but Wyatt and I won't let them get you this time. I promise. This time we can be a family."

Mum? Was that a British accent he just detected? Where had his supposed son come up with an accent from Great Britain at? The fact nagged at the young father. He knew it was important, but he couldn't quite figure out why. Then it hit him like an energy ball in the gut. The woman from the club last night. She had been British. Oh crap. What had he done? "Your mom...she...she has black hair, blue eyes...her name is...is" he struggled for a moment, trying to remember, "Anne?"

"Yeah." Alex smiled softly. "You died before she could tell you."

Paige cut in at this moment. "Chris, who is Anne? What happened to Bianca? How can this teenager be your son? You do realize Piper is going to kill you when she finds out you make her a grandma when you're only what...five?"

Chris shot her a pointed glare.

"He actually made her a grandma under the age of one." Wyatt pointed out. "Now, to get back on topic, I'm sorry, Chris, but we aren't here to save you. My mission was to make sure that Anne didn't die, so that your son here doesn't turn into Oepidus again."

Alex shot him a pointed glare, mirroring his father.

Paige leaned over to Wyatt, whispering loud enough for the other two to hear her. "Like father like son, huh?" She then frowned realizing what her oldest nephew had said. "Oepidus?"

"You don't wanna know."

Regaining his mental clarity at long last, Chris sighed, knowing what he had to do for everyone's sake. Moving toward Alex, he placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. It was strange to do so. It felt natural, which frightened the twenty-two year old. He wasn't used to the idea of being a father, and didn't really think he would be any time soon, especially not to someone so close in age to him. Still, he owed the boy this much. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know what it's like to lose a parent, but Wyatt is right. You can't save me. If I am meant to die, then I am meant to die. The angel of Death always gets who he comes for. Besides, my survival might change too much, may damage the space time continuum. I knew the risk when I came back to the past. You have to forget about saving me. Go back with Wyatt and save your mom. She's a good woman; she'll give you a good life."

Paige's head whipped around to face her nephew at the part about losing a parent. Leo or Piper was going to die? She couldn't believe it. It was just so horrible. She knew exactly how painful that could be. No wonder Chris was such a neurotic little freak. Oh, god...it was probably Piper too...that would explain a lot of things. That meant that she was going to lose her sister though. She thought she might start crying on the spot, but Alex interrupted her fear and pain.

"It's not enough!" Alex jerked away glaring at Wyatt. "You're just going to let your own brother be killed? How could you? How can you let him die, knowing what he did for you? My father saved your ass and you're just going to let him be erased from our lives? You must not care about him at all!"

Wyatt set his jaw, his eyes turning steely, his voice like that of a knife when he spoke. "Who the _hell_ are you to tell me what I feel about my brother? I'd give my life gladly if it would secure him happiness. I can't do that, though. It isn't how things work. We can't just play God, Alex."

"Then why bother to save my mum, huh? Why bother trying to save my soul? You know you meant to save the brother you grew up with but what about my _father_, the man who died to save the world? Doesn't he deserve his life? Don't fool yourself, _Uncle_ Wyatt. You already are playing God. So, why can't I have a say in what goes on in my own life?"

"If he lives my brother dies!"

Alex paused mid tirade, unsure what to say or do. He hadn't expected Wyatt to lose his cool like that. Hadn't expected the older man to admit to his true feelings so easily. So, he stood motionless, staring at Wyatt, unsure what would happen next.

The Twice Blessed Witch turned to face the brother he never had, his eyes clouded with grief, his face red with emotion. His arms were dangling lifelessly by his sides. He looked torn and defeated. "If I save you, then my brother won't exist in the future. You share a soul, and when I saw your spirit, _your _personality was the dominate of the two. If you go back to the future, you'll take him over and I'll never get my brother back. I don't know if I could deal with losing him for good." He hung his head, his voice dropping. "I appreciate what you did for me, but I don't know you. I don't love you like I do my Chris."

"I understand." Chris replied automatically, though inside, it tore him apart to hear those words from his own sibling, the brother he would have done anything for in order to hear a single loving word from. His mind of course really did understand. What Wyatt said made sense, but. . .his heart ached. Had anyone cared that he had died besides Alex? Was his personality so horrible that no one wanted to remember him, just his newer version? He felt betrayed.

Alex shook his head stubbornly. "No. You're lying. You can't possibly understand how your own family could let you die. I knew the other you, and you two are different people. I can tell. If you die, then an identity will die. A person will cease to exist. My _father_ will be gone forever. Please, let me help you. Please." He begged, his jade eyes blurred under unshed tears.

Paige looked between all three men and saw the torn looks on the brothers faces, the agony in the youngest Halliwell's eyes. She couldn't let this happen. Chris had to live. Maybe the Elders would know what to do? She turned to speak to Gideon, but found that he was missing all of the sudden. "Where did he go?"

"Who?" Wyatt asked, trying to take his mind off of the guilt starting to eat away at him. He didn't want to leave his savior to die, but he couldn't stand the thought of never having his other brother back either.

"Gideon." Chris replied frowning. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why would the Elder leave without saying anything. It didn't make any sense. People generally only leave without a word when they are uncomfortable. What would have made the man uncomfortable?

The older brother became rigid at the mention of the name. His eyes were wide not with fear but with anger. "Gideon! _The_ Gideon?"

"Wyatt, what's wrong?" Chris asked, recognizing and fearing the look his sibling had in his eyes.

"He's the one who tried to kill me when I was a child. Dad had to kill him in order to protect me. I've heard the story a thousand times. He was a traitor, who nearly destroyed Dad with his betrayal."

Alex's green eyes grew in size as a revelation over took him. He turned his attention to his father. "I'd be anything he's the one who killed you. You were probably killed trying to protect Wyatt."

Paige shook her head, unbelieving. "No. You can't be serious. It's Gideon. He's one of the good guys." She looked to Chris for support, but found something brewing beneath his normal mask. Was that anger she was detecting? Or fear? "Chris?"

Her nephew turned to look at her, his jade eyes brimming with realization. "It fits. Oh my god, Paige. We didn't save him yet. It wasn't the game masters that turned Wyatt. It was Gideon."

"He will turn no matter what. That is why I must destroy him for the greater good!"

Everyone turned to see Gideon standing behind them, a dark look in his blue eyes. A small smile was gracing his lips, the kind of smile that made people feel as though he was certain he had the upper hand. He knew something they didn't.

Alex opened his mouth to respond, but found a hand slipped over it before he could. Expecting it to be Wyatt again, the young Halliwell tried to turn his head to yell at him, but felt pain rip into his neck. Looking down with his eyes, he saw the glint of steel held against his neck. Along with its now crimson edge.

"Alex!" Chris cried out he saw Barbas shimmer in behind his son, but as he raised his hand to fling the demon away, both the demon and the young teenager disappeared. The last sight Chris saw was the blood dripping down his future child's neck.

tbc...


	12. Making the Tough Decision

CHAPTER 12

**The Tough Decisions**

"Alex!"

Wyatt whipped his head around to look for Alex, but by the time his eyes caught sight of the boy, the demon was already shimmering away. Immediately focusing on his brother, Wyatt noticed the paleness in the other's face, the horror written in his eyes. Chris knew that Alex was expendable to Gideon, and it terrified him to think that his son would die. Wyatt closed his eyes, fury coursing through his veins. "You bastard! Bring him back!"

"You don't hold any cards, Wyatt." Gideon reminded him. "You have no power in this situation. You try anything, and I will let my demons kill him."

Chris's face remained passive, but his eyes revealed all to his brother. He was scared and angry, and sad. . .terribly sad, as though he knew what the outcome was going to be already. Like he had somehow figured out all the possibilities and used some mathematical formula to decide that one and only one outcome was possible. He looked more defeated than Wyatt had ever seen him look. "Let Alex go. Having him won't do you any good, Gideon."

"Oh, won't it?" The Elder questioned. He shook his head, appearing almost contrite. "I'm terribly sorry, Christopher, I would hate to have to sacrifice your son, but unless you give me Wyatt, that is what will happen."

Wyatt ground his teeth together. When he spoke it was more a growl than anything else. "You want me, come after me. We'll see who would win in a fair fight."

"That would be the problem." Gideon replied, his eyes narrowed. "You are too powerful and prone to evil. That is why Christopher is here. Isn't it? You turned evil and your baby brother had to come back through time to stop you."

Paige cut in, an angry flare in her tone. "Listen here, Wyatt is good. Can't you see that we saved him? It was you that turned him to evil in the first place anyway! So give us Alex, or I'll get my sisters and we will vanquish your sorry ass for trying to hurt my nephew and great nephew."

"I will not release the boybefore I do what must be done for the greater good."

Wyatt raised his hand sending the Elder flying back into one of the towering bookcases. The crash caused books to tumble off of the shelves onto the floor with a sound like thunder. Gideon was not rising very quickly.

When Paige and Chris turned incredulous looks toward Wyatt, the first born son shrugged. "What? You can't tell me you didn't want to, Chris. I mean come on. The greater good? What the hell does he think I've been serving my whole life? He's the one that's evil, so stop looking at me like that."

"You should not have done that." Gideon replied as he began the rise to his feet. "If anything happens to me,I won't be able to report back toBarbas, and he will assume Iam dead thenwhatever happens to the boy will be in his hands."

Chrisset his jaw, furious at the Elder for his betrayal, and disgusted with himself for not seeing the man as a threat before now. He felt like he was going to be sick, knowing what had to be done, but not sure if he had the courage to risk more than he already had. So much had been lost to him already, could he stand possibly losing more? He wasn't sure, but nothing else was coming to mind. He whispered under his breath;"I'm sorry, Alex, please just hold on."

Raising his hand and summoning his telekinesis, Chris slowly clenched his out stretched hand. As soon asChris began curling his fingers into a fist, the Elder began to choke. Frantically grabbing at his neck, Gideon tried to cry out for Chris to stop, but could only manage to croak out inarticulate sounds. Orbing was a no go as all his strength was spent trying to fight off the attack. His eyes growing wider by the second, the Elder could feel panic set in as he realized he was going to pass out, leaving himself prey to whatever else the witch had in store for him. Eventually, Gideon could take no more, toppling over onto the ground.

"And you gave _me_ a dirty look?" Wyatt asked frowning. "I mean, if that demon finds out his master was just choked to the point of passing out, Alex is going to be the one to suffer. All I did was lose my temper a little. You lost it all out."

"Kill him before he wakes up."

"What?" Paige and his brother echoed.

Chris turned cold eyes on them both. "The only way to save Wyatt is to get Gideon out of the picture. That's what I came here for. Not to save Alex. Not to even create Alex. I came here to save my brother and the world. The best way to make sure that happens is to see that Elder dead. I don't have the power to kill an Elder, Wyatt. Only you do. So do it. Save yourself. Make sure that he doesn't get a chance to destroy our family. I've madethis really easy for you; he's not able to orb, and he's unconscious, so he won't register any pain. It's more humane that way, not that he deserves it."

"-but Alex...he said if he didn't report back..."

"I don't care!"

Paige and Wyatt exchanged looks, knowing that Chris was lying, knowing that he was trying to make the tough decision for all of them, but falling apart inside because of it. It was Wyatt who spoke next. "Ok. I'll do it."

Trying very hard not to think about what his actions might mean for his nephew, Wyatt raised his hands, letting the lightening flow through his fingertips and into the unconscious man. Within a matter of moments, Gideon was nothing more than a pile of ashes. When he was finished Wyatt turned to look at his brother, ignoring the guilt he was feeling over having killed what was supposed to be a paragon of good. "Now what?"

"We find Alex."

Paige swallowed, not wanting to say what was on her mind. "Chris, what if...what if he's...you know?"

"Then we will mourn for him." Chris let out a breath and closed his eyes. "It wouldn't be the first innocent I've lost or the first person I cared about whose death is on my hands. I've gotten used to it." His voice lowered. "Almost."

000

Alex tried to rip out of the grasp of the demon holding him, but the result was just more pain as the edge of the steel blade cut further into his neck. As it did, he yelped in pain then tried to orb out of instinct, still not having enough control over that power to stop himself, but the demon was holding him too tightly to do so. Every time he tried to orb away, Gideon's minion would pull him back down, then cut him deeper causing a vicious cycle.

"I would not do that if I were you." Barbas drawled getting frustrated at having to watch after the fiery youth. "It will only get worse for you."

"When Wyatt finds you, he's going to torture you, then heal you just to do it all over again. Not to mention the rest of the Halliwells all coming after you, and there is nothing you can do to save yourself except letting me go."

Barbas smiled wickedly, his jagged, yellowing teeth showing. "I have no fear of them. You, however, do."

Signaling the lower level demon, Barbas smirked as the blue skinned creature pushed the boy down hard onto the ground. The demon of fear then raised his hand, studying it like it was a book. "It is your greatest fear that your family will think you are evil and vanquish you. How very interesting."

Turning to the lower level demon, Barbas frowned, thougtfully. "How much longer must I wait for that Elder?"

"It has only been fifteen minutes."

"Close enough." Barbas replied, a sickening smile growing. "Time for you to face your worst fear. The hatred of your own family."

Alex was about to argue that it was a lie, that his family could never hate him, and would never hurt him, but his vision suddenly went white, startling him into silence. Just as he was starting to think the demon had somehow managed to make him blind, a vision began to play in his mind's eye. A horrible, twisted vision that pulled him into his worst nightmare.

_He was backed against the wall, Wyatt's hands raised to telekinetically pin him there. The man's blue eyes were piercing, seemingly looking straight into his very soul...judging it to be as vile as the heart of Satan. "You killed innocent witches. You disgust me."_

_His mother's face came into view, grief-stricken. Tears were running down her cheeks as she shook her head. "What kind of monster did my little boy become?"_

"_No, please, Mum! I didn't know! I was tricked. Please, forgive me! I'll do anything to make it up. Please don't hate me. Mum, please!"_

_Like a camera shifting focus, the view turned to yet another person: Chris. The older version, whose green eyes were currently filled with contempt. "You aren't my son. You're evil. I destroy evil." _

_"Dad, please! I'm so sorry! Please, you have to believe me!" Alex cried out, tears starting to run down his face at the look of hatred pouring from his parents._

_Raising his hand, the father slowly began to clench it, creating a tight fist. As he did so, Chris watched in satisfaction as the young teenager began to struggle for air, falling to his knees as oxygen was squeezed out of his lungs. Tears were shining on the boy's cheeks as his face turned a sickening shade of blue, his mouth open to protest, but no words coming out. _

Barbas grinned as the boy acted out his part in the scene, not knowing that it wasn't real. The screams of his pleas were like the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind to the demon, soothing and pleasing to the ear. He really did love his work. Soon, the child's mind would convince him that he really had suffocated, and there would be one less Halliwell plaguing the Earth. What a wonderful thing that would be.

tbc...


	13. In His Father's Place

Thanks to all those who reviewed! You are all wonderful people, and I wish you the best day ever!

CHAPTER 13

**In His Father's Place**

Piper frowned as her youngest sister finished explaining the situation. She didn't know whether to be confused, worried or really pissed off. Her baby boy was supposed to die, but hadn't, which was a huge relief, but now, that same baby boy hadn't been able to keep his pants up and had created a son in the past whose futureself was going to die at the hands of a demon because her oldest son, who had come back through time to save his nephew, had killed Gideon, who apparently was going to betray them and try to kill Wyatt.. She really wanted to blow something up.

Glancing over at her husband, Piper saw the disbelief in the Elder's eyes. His mentor was dead. Gideon had been murdered by Wyatt because he was going to kill Chris and Wyatt...or at least try to. She wanted to go to Leo, hold him and tell him things were going to be all right. However, she had bigger problems to deal with. Such as her little boy's little boy. She really wanted to blow Chris up for making her a grandma. She was sooo not old enough for that. "Chris, stop pacing. You're making me dizzy, and if I go down, mini-you takes the fall too."

Chris paused mid-step and glanced over to Wyatt. "Did you find anything yet?"

"For the last time, no because he's probably in the underworld." Wyatt snapped watching as the crystal swung uselessly over the map.

Paige nodded. "He's right. A demon would take an innocent to the underworld. Kill him where a whitelighter can't hear him to go and heal him."

Chris shot her a look that could kill. "We have to do something. He's my son."

"Maybe this was meant to happen." Pheobe, who had been sitting on the couch taking it all in, suddenly glanced up her eyes soft, full of sympathy. "Having kids your own age is cosmically wrong, Chris. Maybe this is the universe's way of straightening it out?"

"You did not just say that." Chris growled, his jade eyes sharp as knives as he stared into his aunt's face.

Piper moved to his side, taking hold of his arm to calm him. "Hey, it's ok. She was just being stupid." She glared at her sister. "Weren't you, Pheobe?"

The middle Charmed One remained silent.

"Chris, it's going to be fine. Now, calm down and start thinking with your head instead of your heart. You know more about magic than anyone in this room. There has to be a way to save Alex. Just think. Are there any spells that we could use to find him?"

Chris frowned, shaking his head. "No. Not that I can think of." A look of realization crossed his face. "Blood to blood spell. We summon him to us."

000

Barbas watched as the boy's body began to lose strength. Instead of struggling fiercely, Alex was barely moving anymore. His eyes were no longer wide in terror, but closed. Instead of looking to be in a nightmare, he seemed to be drifting into a peaceful sleep. The demon smiled to himself, knowing that this was not the good kind of sleep. He loved his work.

Suddenly, Alex stopped moving all together. His chest ceased to rise. The hallucination had done its job. The young witch-whitelighter's brain had scared him into believing he had truly suffocated. White streaks were in the teenager's hair now, proof of the terror he had experienced. One Halliwell down, too many left for the demon of fear's liking.

Moving over to examine the witch, Barbas halted in his tracks as swirling white lights swooped up the body then disappeared. "Well, that should make an interesting surprise for the Charmed Ones."

000

As Alex's body appeared in the attic, Chris moved to his son's side, reaching him first. When he saw the white in the teenager's hair, he recognized the work of Barbas. He reached out touching his son's shoulder lightly. "Alex?"

No response.

Chris noticed the lack of movement in the boy's chest and quickly moved a hand under his son's nose. No air flow was felt. The father panicked. Turning to Wyatt he shouted for the older brother to heal him. The Twice Blessed knew he wasn't going to be able to pull this off. It was too late. Still, he had to try, so he placed his hands over his nephew and waited for a miracle. None occurred.

Their mother moved next to her youngest son, putting an arm around him. "Chris-"

"-No!" Chris shook his head, tears starting to flow down his face. He moved to hold the boy's head in his lap,brushing the teenager's hair from his forehead more to comfort himself than the corpse."He's not dead, damn it! Wyatt, keep trying." When his brother didn't move, the brunette turned to look at his father who was giving him the same sympathetic look as everyone else. "No. No, no,no,no,no." He closed his tear filled eyes, lowering his head.

Phoebe moved forward, trying to use her skills as a former empath to help her calm her nephew. "Chris, I'm so sorry. This must be unbearable for you, but you have to think of the positive."

"Yeah, at least the baby will still be alive." Paige put in.

Chris glanced up, his cheeks red from his tearless sobbing. "It isn't the same. _This_ Alex is gone. . .I did it again. I failed another person...I'm so sorry, Alex. I'm so sorry." His head lowered again, unable to stand the sympathy he saw in the eyes of his family.

Piper and Wyatt exchanged looks before each putting a supportive arm around the distraught family member. Piper wanted to comfort him. Wanted to tell him that everything was going to be just fine and that his son was in a better place. Maybe Prue was watching over him now. However, she couldn't. It was at that time when she went into labor. She let out a cry and pulled back from her sons. "Oh crap. Not now."

Paige looked to Leo and saw that the father wanted to be with his adult son, figuring that one of the man's parents should remain there to comfort him. She took hold of her sister's arm. "Come on, Piper. Time to bring Chris into the world."

"Chris." Piper whispered, wanting him to know that she didn't want to leave him when he needed her.

He glanced up and forced a smile. "I know, Mom. I know."

Piper felt the tears slide off her lashes just as her sister orbed them both out of the attic.

Wyatt was trying to be strong for his brother, but he felt the loss too. Alex was his nephew and as troubled, annoying and dangerous as the kid had been, he was still family. He had needed them, and they had failed him. He felt his own eyes start to water but roughly rubbed them to stop from crying too. Chris didn't need to see him fall apart too.

Suddenly, Alex's body faded away, leaving Chris' arms empty. The young man looked up to his father, wondering if the Elder's were responsible for his son's fading. Leo merely frowned, shaking his head in puzzlement, the heartache for his son replaced by confusion.

Chris turned his attention from his father to the spot on the floor where his son was supposed to be. He wondered if it had to do with dying outside one's timeline. He had studied a lot about time travel, but he had never heard of anyone dying in the past or future. Maybe fate had erased him to clean up after them? Maybe Pheobe had been right and Alex was a mistake destined to die over and over again. It was in that moment that he made a decision.

"I'm not going back."

Wyatt glanced at hisfather and auntwondering whether or not they understood what he meant. When he saw them looking just as confused as he was, the Twice Blessed Witch turned to his brother. "Chris? What are you talking about?"

His sibling raised numb jade eyes to meet Wyatt's sky blue. "I'm not going back to the future. I'm going to find Anne. I'm not letting Alex down again."

Without waiting for his family to respond, Chris went up in a swirl of blue and white orb lights, determined to find the mother of his child and stop his son's horrible life from repeating itself. Nothing and no one was going to stop him from taking responsibility for his actions. He would be a father to Alex even if he had to take on the cosmos to do it.

tbc...sorry it's so short, but the next few chapters are going to be so long they'll make up for it. ;)


	14. An Even More Complicated Conversation

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! More reviewslonger chappies, so here ya go!

CHAPTER 14

**An Even More Complicated Conversation**

Anne Cramer nodded as Dr. Michael Gilroy explained how he had come to the conclusion their patient might be suffering from an early stage of cancer. She knew all of this already, but dared not point out the fact that he was treating her like she was a freshman in med-school. She needed his approval if she was going to ever make it past the intern stage. So, she just smiled and nodded and gave him an awed look now and then. Soon, she would be able to make rounds on her own, and this would all be just a joke she would tell her own intern someday.

After the necessary tests had been ordered, Dr. Gilroy reminded the young woman that her shift was up and to check out at the desk. She was grateful. It had been a while since she last had some sleep, and a nap was definitely in order. However, she realized quickly that she wasn't going to be getting one anytime in the near future. The man from the night before was in the waiting area, and when he saw her come in, he immediately rose to his feet. He was waiting for her? Creepy. Very creepy.

Those green eyes, so tragic yet so alluring, didn't hold the same enchantment during the daytime. Not when she was just getting off of work and the weirdo was waiting for her. She wanted to run for it. Instead she checked out, then turned to face him. When he didn't say anything, just kept staring at her stomach of all things, she got impatient. "Can I assist you in some way?"

Jerked from whatever thoughts he was having, the man quickly lifted his head staring intensely into her ice blue eyes. "We need to talk. You're done for today, right?"

She wanted to lie and say no, but he seemed so. . .shaken. Still, wasn't there someone he could talk to? A friend or family member? Why on God's green earth would he have tracked her down? Unless the problem had to do with her. Oh, god, what if he had aids or something? What if he was here to tell her that she might be dying because they slept together? She swallowed unsure whether to be terrified or angry. "Yes, I'm finished until tomorrow morning."

"Good." He glanced around nervously, his eyes getting darker, more distanced as he thought about a possible place to have this talk. When he returned his focus to her, the jade orbs were lighter and brighter once more. "Do you think we could go to P3? I know the owner, so I can get us in. It'll be private, and not as awkward as one of our homes."

Anne smiled at his logic. At least he was taking into consideration how strange this was. Still, why couldn't they go somewhere normal? A café or something? Was it really such bad news that they needed such privacy? Was she going to end up in hysterics? She really was going to die wasn't she? She knew she shouldn't have slept with a stranger. How stupid could she be! Suddenly, almost comically, her brain turned to thinking of how nice it would be to get bad news in an empty bar so that she could at least have a free drink or two afterwards. She noticed he was still waiting for her answer. "Sure. Fine. The club it is. Just let me change first."

"Of course. Yeah."

As the young woman turned into the doctor's lounge, Chris Halliwell felt his heartbeat still thumping unusually hard against his chest. He wasn't sure how he was actually going to pull this off. Not only did he have to convince her she was pregnant, but then he had to explain magic to her along with the whole being from the future issue. Most importantly, get her to believe that he and the baby were both witches. The baby. . .Alex. Just thinking about the son he had lost before even knowing caused him to feel ill. He had to do this. For his son. Had to make sure that everything worked out this time. An impossible task.

Even if by some miracle he could convince Anne she was pregnant and get her to accept magic, there was still the fact he needed to be part of Alex's life. Would she agree to that? How would the arrangement work? He hadn't really figured that part out yet. Hadn't figured out what to do about the Elders either. They were going to make him go back unless he could come up with the best argument of his life. Would his family support him? Pheobe certainly hadn't been on his side earlier. His mom and dad would understand, though. They wouldn't want anything bad to happen to their grandson. Paige? She could go either way. He'd have to persuade her to help, something his mother would help with.

Just as he started to come up with ways to make his case to both his family and the elders, Anne reappeared, changed into a pair of jeans and a baby blue t-shirt that matched her eyes. She looked good. Chris frowned, knowing that he couldn't think of her like that. She was Alex's mother, nothing else. What they had done was a one time thing. He loved Bianca, would always love her. Even if he could never be with her. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make for his son. Besides, the new version of himself would be with her. Weird.

"I'm ready."

"Okay, let's go."

Chris moved to hold open the door for her, noticing a slightly surprised look cross on the woman's face. He was about to say that he was always a gentleman, but realized how untrue that was, considering what kind of trouble he had gotten her into. He kept his mouth closed.

Once outside, Anne paused waiting for him to inform her as to where his car was. He gave her a sheepish look as he stood next to her. It was quite adorable in her opinion. Opting to put him out of his misery, she started walking toward her own car. When she did, Chris let out a breath, glad that he didn't have to explain why he didn't have a car yet. There would be enough of that later.

Slipping into the passenger's side, Chris watched as Anne turned the car on, then the radio, which was blaring the same kind of music his Aunt Paige liked to listen to. He couldn't for the life of him remember the names of the bands, being as they were way before his time, and while he had been the past, all his time was devoted to demons, not listening to music. He believed the name for genre was soft rock, though. He liked it, now that he actually got to listen to more than a phrase or two.

"So, this talk we need to have. . .how bad is it?"

Chris sighed, unable to look at her when he responded, so instead focusing on the glove-box. "Depends on how open-minded you are."

"Open-minded?"

"Yeah."

Anne shook her head. "That's not exactly a one to ten answer you know. I mean, open-minded? As far as what?"

Chris didn't want to start the conversation in the car. She could freak out and end up driving into a pole, and that was something he really didn't want to happen. He started looking out the window, ignoring her questions all together. She got the hint and remained silent the rest of the way to the club.

Parking the car a block away, the two walked to the club in an uncomfortable silence. Anne wanted answers now, but Chris knew that it would be best to answer them his way. He had a plan and would not deviate from his mission. So, the silence continued all the way into the club, all the way to the bar, where both adults took a seat on a stool. After a moment, Anne turned to face him, probably planning on staring him into starting.

Chris took a deep breath, then began. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Oh, Lord. Please tell me you didn't drag me all this way just to tell me that what happened was magic. It was a shag. Great shag, but just a shag. No, I do not think it was magical in any way shape or form. Before you ask, I don't believe in love at first sight either. If you had wanted to get together again, this was a bloody lousy way to go about it. You had me scared to death." She lectured him in her smooth, accented voice, causing the harshness to melt slightly.

Just as she was about to stand, Chris grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back down onto her seat. "No. I didn't mean that kind of magic. Listen, I understand this seems strange, and you probably think I'm some sort of weirdo stalker, trying to hit on you, but to be honest I'm not interested. I'm still in love with my fiancee. I'm only here because you deserve to know the truth. What I was talking about was real magic. The kind that witches would do."

"Witches?" She raised an eyebrow. "My friend claims to be a witch, but I have never seen her do any magic, so...no, I suppose not. Now, what does this have to do with anything?"

"Because angels, demons, witches. . ." he took a breath, "are all real." He waited for that statement to sink in before continuing. "I'm part of that world. I've got powers."

Of all the responses he thought he might get, laughter wasn't one he had particularly wanted. Not waiting for her to calm down, Chris decided to do something to get her attention. Thinking for a second on which power would be less likely to scare her, he threw up some orb lights, allowing the white orbs to hang in the air like tiny stars. Her laughter immediately stopped. With eyes wide, she gazed questioningly at him. "How. . .?"

"Magic."

She blinked. "Magic..."

"Yes."

"What are you a witch? Is that what you are trying to say?" She asked studying the orb lights, thinking to herself how she should be afraid but wasn't. She supposed it was because she was too busy thinking how the little lights created the perfect romantic atmosphere, then wondering why she would be thinking about romance at a time like this.

"Partly." He cringed, knowing how difficult this was going to explain to someone outside the magical community. "I'm also part. . .whitelighter."

"White-what?"

He grinned at her, amused by how well she was taking this. "Whitelighter. They are people who have died, but since they did something remarkably good with their lives, they come back to life as angels who watch over witches. They are appointed by the elders, who kind of serve as the guardians of good." He noticed her face pale and wondered what he had said to make her do so. Was she just overwhelmed?

"You...you're...I mean...dead?" She looked like she might be ill.

Chris pulled a face. No one had called him dead since elementary magic. He had hated it then, and he still did now. He could understand the green tinge to her skin now, though. He wouldn't want to think about sleeping with a dead person either. Never could understand how his mother stomached it. Granted, he was exceedingly grateful she had, but still. . .it was just wrong. "No, I'm not dead."

"But you said...?"

"I inherited my whitelighter side. My dad is an angel, and my mom is a witch." He noticed the confused look and wondered if she was thinking what other people had thought. "No, I'm not half-dead either."

She smiled at that, picking up on the annoyance in his voice. "I wasn't thinking that. I was actually thinking how odd it is to find out this sort of thing is true. I never imagined it." The woman turned her attention back to the orb lights, which were starting to face, but still glowing dimly. "They are so beautiful. Like something out of a fairy tale. Then again, I suppose magic itself is something out of a fairy tale. I cannot believe I actually am going to say this, but. . .I believe you. Magic exists and you are part of it." She turned to face him again. "My question is why are you telling me? I can't imagine it's safe to show any gift like this to a stranger. They might try to dissect you nowadays."

"I had to tell you." Chris pursed his lips, trying to figure out how best to phrase what he needed to say. "The baby you're carrying is going to be a witch."

Anne blinked. She wondered for a moment if she had misheard him. Maybe he had said something else? Or maybe he had mis-spoken? He certainly couldn't know that sort of thing after less than a day. . .could he? Did he have powers that would let him sense that sort of thing...like premonitions? Oh, Lord. "I...I'm pregnant? How...?" She shook her head. "I mean I know _how_, but how do you know?"

Not really wanting to complicate the matter anymore than necessary, the young man kept it simple. "Magic."

"Oh."

Chris knew he had to tell her the rest. He just didn't really want to. Things were going really well so far, and he feared that throwing too much on her at once might ruin it, but he didn't have a choice. She needed to know all of it. The whole thing. "You should know. . .I'm from the future."

"Right. Of course." She replied as though it were the most obvious answer in the world. "I mean, that explains all the quantum theory talk last night. You kept saying how changing things could change who you are and maybe even erase you. At the time I thought you were depressed about your fiancee, but now I understand completely. You were afraid you were changing too much or had changed too much and were going to have no place to go."

It was Chris' turn to blink. "Wow. You are really quick."

"Yeah, well it goes with wanting to be a doctor." Her face suddenly fell. "Oh god. If I am truly pregnant, how am I going to continue my internship? How am I going to finish the program with a baby to care for?"

Chris instinctively grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "You won't have to do it alone. I want to be a part of Alex's life. I _need_ to be. You won't be alone in this I swear."

"Alex?" She smiled fondly. "I like that."

After a moment she sighed, pulling her hand away from his. As much as she wanted to believe he would be there, her reason wouldn't allow her to get her hopes up. "Why did you come to the past?"

"My older brother." His eyes changed to the deeper shade they had been in the club the other night. The sorrow and pain shone through only for a moment before he replaced them with a mask of strength. He wouldn't look at her when he spoke, though. "He was turned evil before I was born. I came back to stop it from happening."

Everything about him was starting to make sense to her now. The one person he had probably looked up to had been the one to hurt him. She could see it in his face, the inner torment seeping from his pores. He loved his brother, his voice revealed that, but his face and eyes shone the agony the older sibling had caused the younger. Anne realized suddenly that she had been right about Chris the other night. He had been through more than most people ever would experience. She wondered if she would ever find out exactly what he had suffered through. Already she knew about the fiancee, who else had he lost?

"We succeeded. He's ok now." Chris' voice broke into her thoughts. "Which means that the future is safe, and I'm not really needed there anymore."

Anne wondered what he meant by 'needed'. She stored the question away in case she got a chance to ask him later. "So, you think you can just stay in the past? What about baby-you?"

"I don't think it would affect him. Not as long as he doesn't know who I am. That might be hard to explain to a kid. Not to mention the fact that mom and dad may not want to mention to him and Wyatt what things used to be like. So, after I settle things with the Elders, I don't see why I can't stay. Besides, you'll need someone to protect you and Alex. I did mention that demons existed, right?"

Anne nodded slowly. "You did, but I didn't realize what you said until this moment. Demons? Evil creatures that hunt innocent people, correct? Why have I never seen one before?"

"They only hunt people who either do too much good, are a means to an end, are going to be whitelighters, or are witches. The baby is a witch. They'll sense him and come after him, and being as he is in you, well...yeah."

"You fight demons?"

Chris grinned. "Since I was two. It's sort of a twisted kind of family business. Ours is one of the most powerful magical families in history. Another reason why you need constant protection. A Halliwell child is a prime target."

"Halliwell? I thought you said it was Perry?" She frowned, working out a puzzle. "You know the owner. I bet you do. She's your family. You only used the name Perry so people wouldn't get suspicious."

"My mom is the owner. Perry is my middle name, and you are exactly right on why I didn't tell you my real name."

Anne nodded. "So, I need constant protection? How are you going to do that?"

"You call my name when you're in trouble, and I'll be there. Literally."

"Magic?"

He nodded.

The mother-to-be's mind started racing with ideas. He needed to be around a lot in order to protect them. Chris also wanted to be a big part of the baby's life. He couldn't live with his family forever, and he probably didn't have a job at the moment to pay for his own place. Would he even consider what she had in mind though? Hmm. . . "You should move in with me."

Had he been drinking something, Chris would have spit it out. As it was he was staring at her like she was insane. "You don't even know me."

"I trust you. Besides, it makes sense. You have no money, right?" He blushed, embarrassed. She continued, "and you can't live with your family forever; it would get far too confusing for the other you. Plus if you live with me then you'd be able to protect the baby easier."

Chris leveled his green eyes to her blue. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. If you can protect this child, then I want you as close as possible. Just the thought of demons existing scares the bloody hell out of me. I think a professional demon killer is just who I want living in the next room. Besides, you are going to be the child's father. We might as well try to give him some sort of family environment, right?"

"Right." Even as Chris said the word, he had a feeling that this living arrangement was going to be more than just a little interesting.

tbc. . .


	15. New Identity

CHAPTER 15

**New Identity**

Chris turned to his father, trying to judge how he thought their meeting with the elders had gone. A few minutes ago, they had explained the situation to the all wise ones and demanded that the youngest Halliwell son be allowed to stay in the past to clean up his own mess and care for the child. Before Wyatt had returned to his own time, he had informed the family that Alex's wiccan powers were those of a fire-starter. Powers such as those would need to be trained in order to control them efficiently. Another point Chris had wanted to make on his long list of points. Control was essential in a power like that. Otherwise, darkness would claim it for its own as it did with so many fire-starters. There had also been the debate about how he couldn't go back because he didn't really exist anymore in the future. Chris sighed, replaying those arguments in his head. He felt tired and worried. He just wanted to know how Leo felt it had gone. The other man remained silent, but Chris saw the concern in his eyes. Not good.

The doors to the council chambers opened. Chris and his father rose, entering the room confidently. They still had one more argument to make if all else failed. The Charmed Ones were on their side. They would threaten the elders with early retirement. It was a risky threat to make, but one they were willing to give. Paige had hesitated only slightly, and once both her sisters were in, Pheobe followed without too much complaint.

Odin was the only member present. Chris glanced at his father, not knowing whether this was a good thing or a bad one. Leo for his part merely looked a little baffled by the move. What were the Elders thinking?

"Christopher Perry Halliwell, you have requested permission to remain in the past without any interference from the Elders. You have tampered with the space time continuum creating paradox beyond imagination."

The witch-whitelighter closed his eyes, feeling his hope starting slipping. His father squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"However, you have made a strong argument and the Elders have agreed to allow you to stay with the following stipulations."

Chris' head jerked up his eyes opened wide. He then remembered that the Elder had mentioned stipulations. Concern filled his heart like water in a pool. What did they want him to do? Never see his family again? He would do it if he had to, but he really hoped it didn't come to that. He loved them all so much. How could he not be part of their lives? Even if the situation was completely messed up.

"Firstly, you will no longer be Christopher Perry Halliwell. You will be given a new identity and the cleaners will create a life for you, changing memories to allow it. Also, to allow you the opportunity to protect your child, the Elders have decided to grant you the right to keep your powers. We are using our own power to assure that both you and your counter part have power. Now, choose your new identity."

The boy looked to his father, completely thrown off guard. Leo looked just as shocked as he did and could merely shake his head and shrug. Chris turned back to Odin. "Uh. . .I don't think I would be able to answer to anything other than Chris. Can't I just go back to being Chris Perry? It fooled enough people the first time. My parents can tell my other self that he was named after me, which is sort of true."

Odin considered this, frowning. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well. Now, who are you in the world and to the future Halliwell generations?"

"Before I was the leader of a resistance against my brother, the only job I had was bartending at the family club."

Leo smiled. "He could be the new manager. Piper's been looking for someone to help her run the place. She'd love the idea."

"As far as who I am to my brother, other self and the cousins..." he paused thinking. "Couldn't I be a relative? Maybe not a son or nephew but just a relative? How else are you planning on explaining away my witch-whitelighter heritage? I hid it for almost a year, but I can't hide it indefinitely. Wyatt would sense it anyway as he got older."

Odin looked highly annoyed. This wasn't going the way he thought it would at all. If the entire world didn't owe this kid for saving their lives and the lives of the future generations, he wouldn't even be considering what he was requesting. As it was, the other Elders decided to give him what he wanted. He had earned it. "What do you have in mind?"

Chris and Leo considered for a moment. Finally, Chris had a thought. "How about Paige's twin brother? I mean, it would explain the half-and-half situation. Plus, Paige and I have the acting like siblings thing down, bickering all that. I'm not that much younger than her. I could pull off being her age. Besides, we are related so we naturally look alike."

"And his other self will be too much younger to really notice how they look alike. Any similarities can be chalked up to being his uncle." Leo added, getting excited. "We just won't take any pictures of Chris for him to compare himself to."

His son looked at him thoughtfully. "That's good because I hate pictures anyway." He then frowned. "So, should I have been adopted by a different family? Or raised with Paige?"

At this Odin cut in. "Different. Things are already complicated enough. We can create documents for your adoptive parents. As well as any other documents you may need. They will be dead for some years, killed in an accident of some sort...automobile perhaps, like Paige's. Then, you and Paige met at Prue's funeral and the rest is history as you mortals say."

Chris grinned. "So, Dad, how do you think Paige is going to take the news of a brother?"

"I think she'll be thrilled."

000

Memories were altered where necessary thanks to the cleaners. Chris' new identity was in full swing. Memories of three years had been changed in the minds of everyone else but the Halliwells, Sam, and Anne, allowing the Charmed One's brother a place in the history of those years. All magical beings from demons to fairies believed the lie, and were never going to be the wiser.

Paige frowned as she thought about having Chris as her brother instead of a nephew. It would be weird at first, but she supposed in a way she had already started thinking of him as the annoying little brother she had never had, so it was okay by her. Besides, they bickered like siblings anyway. It made sense. As long as he got to stay, she was a happy Halliwell.

Piper of course was sad that she wouldn't ever be able to really call Chris her son ever again, except perhaps when they were absolutely alone. She would always love him as her son, though. He was part of her, and her heart would always have him in it. Saying he was her half-brother instead of her son didn't matter so long as he was still a part of her life to love.

Pheobe thought the whole thing was ridiculous and started counting off a thousand different ways this plan could go wrong, but remained silent because the rest of her family was so overjoyed about it. She couldn't say it didn't make her happy to have Chris stay. She loved him, really. It was just that she didn't know if this was going to work or not. She hoped it did.

Sam wasn't exactly sure what he thought of the situation when he had been filled in. He didn't even know Chris. He had heard about him from his sources in the magical community and apparently he should be proud to claim the kid as his own. Chris had apparently saved the world somehow. In any case, he loved Paige, and since she wanted him to go along with it, he would. Even if it was strange.

The mother of the Charmed Ones didn't mind in the least. Chris was her grandson, and her love for him didn't change regardless of how he was related to her. Son or grandson, he was still someone she cared about very very much. He had done everything to protect their family, and he deserved to be happy. If Piper's son needed her to do this for him, then she would. No one would ever have to know.

Victor was disappointed. He and Chris had a special bond, and having to force himself to say that Chris was Sam's and Patty's kid instead of Piper's and Leo's wasn't going to be easy. It hurt to think about Paige that way. He thought of her as his daughter anymore. Chris would always be his special little grandson, no matter what he had to tell the rest of the world. He loved that kid. If he had to pretend that his grandson was the son of his worst enemy in order to make Chris happy, then he would do it.

Anne wasn't sure what to think. She thought the whole situation was strange enough as it was, and anything he did to change who he was in the eyes of the world, really wasn't going to change anything as far as they were concerned. She was still pregnant with his child. Said child was still a witch, which was what she had been thinking about when Chris orbed into her apartment after having told his parents what he had explained to her about his new identity.

"Hullo."

He smiled tiredly. "Hey. How do you feel?"

"Quite all right. Not pregnant enough for morning sickness and the likes."

Chris nodded, then turned to head into his room. He had orbed all of his belongings, of which there were few, into her apartment the day before and had already unpacked and sorted everything out. So, when he went into his room, his bed was already for him to just crawl right in. He was too tired to even bother pulling back the sheets though. He just fell onto the bed and closed his eyes.

He let out a breath, thinking about how messed up his life was. He was trapped in the past, pretending to be his Aunt's brother, about to become a father to a child who he had already lost once, and living with the mother who was a perfect stranger who's accent sometimes annoyed him without reason. He supposed he was just looking for a reason to be angry and that was the only thing he could find. When in truth, he was just angry with his fate. This wasn't how he wanted things to turn out. Not even close. He wanted Bianca. He missed her so much he thought his heart would just stop beating.

"Chris?" Anne's soft voice floated into the room.

The man groaned and rolled off the bed, stumbling into the hallway where she was leaning against the wall waiting for him. At first disgruntled at being bothered for seemingly no reason, Chris noticed the look in her eyes and wondered what was wrong. "You said you were okay. Aren't you?"

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried for." She shook her head. "You don't have to do this. If you want to go back, then go back. I mean, you are giving up so much to help me with this baby, and you don't have to. You saved the world, so I think it would be okay for you to be selfish just this once. Go be with the woman you love in the future. If I need help, I can call for your dad. He seems to be quite a nice man."

Chris blinked. He couldn't believe she just offered to do that. To raise a magical baby on her own. Was she insane? "No way. I don't bail on my responsibilities. Ever. I could never do that to my child." He remember what she said about Bianca and winced. "Besides, the woman I loved is dead. The future is changed. She doesn't exist anymore."

"I'm sorry." Anne turned her face away. "For everything." Without another word, the woman turned away from him and went into her room, slowly shutting the door behind her.

Chris wasn't sure what she had meant by that. Wasn't sure if he wanted to know. However, part of his Aunt Paige was in his blood, the curiosity and need to get the truth driving him to move toward her door, when in all honesty, he really just wanted to sleep. "Anne?"

No answer.

He rolled his eyes, even more frustrated. "Anne, I know you can hear me. Open the door. I think we need to talk." He wasn't sure about what, but by the tone of her voice when she had spoken, Chris figured it was a good idea.

Silence was his answer.

Getting annoyed, Chris decided to throw caution to the wind and just orb into her room. She was sitting on the bed, crying, a pillow held against her chest. He felt terrible. What had he done or said to make her feel like this? It was him that did it...she had been worried and he'd blown her off. Growing up in a house full of women, he'd learned that was a big no no. "Anne?"

She screamed. "Bloody hell! You scared me to death. My door was locked. How'd you get-"she paused rolling her eyes. "Never mind. I know. Magic." She shook her head. "What do you want anyway?"

"You were crying."

The woman roughly rubbed her eyes, then sat up straight on the bed, tossing aside the pillow. She shrugged. "So? I'm not allowed to? This is a hell of a situation we have gotten ourselves into. You are in love with someone else. In the future, mind you, yet you are giving her up to help me with this child. I feel like rubbish over it. You shouldn't have to give up the love of your life like this. Then, there is my own self pity. I have no idea whether I'll be able to finish my program at the hospital, or whether I'll be able to find true love now that I'm going to be an unwed mother. Not to mention the fact that I have a strange man as the father of my child. Oh, and lest we forget the impending sense of dread I have at the thought of demons attacking." She bit her lower lip. Her voice shaking. "I think I have the right to cry every once and a while."

Chris sighed, not knowing what to say to her. "Maybe it would help if we set up some ground rules. Privacy and general rules to follow around one another because I don't want you worry about me. It's not good for the baby. You shouldn't have to worry about anything."

"Rules? Such as?"

"If you want to bring a guy around, I'll make myself scarce. After the baby is born, I can babysit Alex at the manor. You should have a chance to find love, Anne. I'll do what I have to do to make it any easier." He frowned, thinking of her other issues. "As far as demons, just remember to call for me and it shouldn't be a problem. Remember? I'm an expert. My parents and aunts think I'm neurotic because I know so much about demons and how to vanquish them."

Anne pursed her lips. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"How can I make this easier for you?"

Chris let out a breath, shaking his head. "Just don't mention Bianca to me. Don't talk about her, our love, or the future. Don't ask me how I'm feeling. Just accept the fact that this is more important to me and leave it at that."

Anne shook her head. "It's not fair that I get a chance at love and you don't."

"I learned a long time ago, that life isn't fair. Besides, I know where my heart is. I just can't be with it. I'll have the memories to sustain me."

Anne watched him turn her back on her and walk out the door. The entire time, she kept thinking about what a martyr he was. How it was time someone got him to remember the joy in life. How depending on someone else was okay. He didn't have to take the world on his shoulders alone anymore. Maybe she couldn't replace Bianca, but she could at least try to get him to allow for the chance of a new dream. Starting tomorrow, she was going to make him see the light. She would make it up to him for all he was doing for her and the baby.

tbc. . .

Awesome reviews everyone! Thanks bunches:) As for the question of Anne and Chris--haven't decided how their relationship is gonna pan out. I do promise that it will be pretty interesting either way. Awkward situations anyone? hehe


	16. Chris & Anne?

Sorry this took so long. Final projects are KILLING ME. sigh Next comes finals, so I will try to get things up, but no idea when. Sorry. :(

CHAPTER16

**Chris and Anne?**

When Chris opened his eyes, he would have sworn he smelled pancakes, bacon and eggs. Growing up with a chef for a mother, he had a very tuned sense of smell. So, Anne liked to cook? That was nice. Smelled good too. Must not be too bad at cooking, then. Being a good cook was definitely important to Chris, growing up in the kitchen with his mother, he had learned to be very picky. Anyone who enjoyed to cook and could seemingly do it well got a gold star in his book. Though, his taste buds would have the final say in her abilities.

Throwing on a pair black sweats over his boxers, the young man headed out into the kitchen. He paused as he saw the young woman, in an apron and all, swinging her hips in rhythm to the music playing softly on the tiny radio she had setting on the counter. She was also singing along. After a moment of listening, Chris decided that she had a nice voice. Soft, flowing, and on key-which he appreciated. Still, to see her cooking, dancing and singing all at once was more than a little amusing. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her in silence.

It took a few minutes for her to turn around. She seemed to be going for the drawer in the floating island of the kitchen. When she saw him her sky blue eyes went wide and she flushed in embarrassment. Her hands stopped reaching for the drawer and went to her face to wipe away the stray flour on her cheeks. It seemed she was a bit of a messy cook. "I-I, err..." She made aface and groaned. "You were there the whole time weren't you?"

"No need to be embarrassed. You're good." Chris replied, grinning. She rolled her eyes at him, causing him to laugh. "Really, you sing well, and the dancing...well, it was cute."

"Cute?" She let out a breath of air. "Not exactly what a woman wants to hear."

Chris blinked, doing a double take. He hadn't expected that kind of an answer at all. What did it matter if he called her cute? She was. What did she think he would say? Was she disappointed he had called her cute? It wasn't as if they were dating or anything. He shouldn't have to say she's anything more than that. Oh, God. What if she did expect something to happen? All of the sudden a lump formed in his throat. He had to be careful. He was after all living with the woman he had gotten pregnant, a nice cozy little circumstance. She could easily get the wrong idea. Chris wasn't here for her. He was here for Alex. "What exactly did you want me to say. . .?" He asked hesitantly, almost dreading the answer.

She frowned, unsure why he had taken a tone of such seriousness all of the sudden. Did he think she was being serious? "I was only teasing."

"Oh."

Anne didn't fail to notice the slight color rising in his cheeks. He _had_ thought her to be coming on to him. What an arrogant little yank. Sure they had slept together, but she didn't have any feelings for him. She respected him for what he had done and was doing. Wanted him to be happy even, but a relationship with him? She thought not. He was too serious. Much too serious. Which was why she was trying to tease with him, to lighten him up a bit. Not to insinuate that she wanted to shag him again. Good grief.

Trying to change the subject, Chris moved to examine the food. "Eggs, bacon and pancakes, my favorites. Everything looks good too. Could I have some?"

"I made it for you." She replied without thinking. As her brain clicked on what she had just said in combination with the mix up earlier she panicked. Anne tried to think of a way to explain. "To make up for you having to stay here. . .in the past I mean." She frowned in disgust at how that sounded. "Not that this in anyway actually does make up for it. Make up was a bad choice of words. Actually this is more of a way to make you more comfortable."

To her surprise, Chris actually smiled and shook his head. His green eyes were light and dancing. "You can stop explaining now. I understand. I'm not always as stupid as I acted earlier."

Anne blushed, embarrassed at her behavior. "Sorry. I just really didn't want to give you the wrong idea. Considering. . ." She glanced down gesturing at her still very flat stomach.

"Let's just state this for the record shall we? I'm not interested in you romantically and you aren't interested in me either. We are both in this for Alex. That's not going to change. Agreed?"

The young woman nodded, glad to finally be done with the whole mix up. She had just wanted to make him comfortable and thank him for what he was doing and instead she had made him uncomfortable and embarrassed. Luckily, no other mix ups happened during breakfast. In fact, the rest of the day had gone rather smoothly. Chris had to leave later that afternoon to help his family with vanquishing some demon, but other than that, it had been a peaceful day, the two of them talking about nothing substantial, just movies and music and about the baby. It wasn't until almost a month later that things started to get complicated again.

Anne glanced over the newspaper to see Chris giving her that look again. She set down the paper and sighed. "Out with it then. What are you so upset about?"

"I don't like him."

For a moment she was puzzled by the statement. Then it dawned on her who he was referring to. A week ago she had gone on a date with a man by the name of Ben Vicors, a perfectly nice man she had met at the laundry mat. The date had gone well, Ben being the perfect gentlemen, so she was going out with him again tonight. Chris didn't like Ben. That wasn't very fair. Chris had only spent five minutes with the man while she finished getting ready for the date. Taking into consideration the flat-out rejection of a man he had only met for five minutes, Anne was tempted to tell him a thing or two, but then she noticed a softness to his jade eyes that made her realize that he was worried. She'd hear him out. "Why don't you like Ben?"

Chris shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know why exactly. It was just a feeling he got when the guy was around. It was just his gut talking. Granted he had an excellent gut, his mom said it was a lot like his Aunt Prue's instinct, but would Anne understand that? She'd think he was nuts, and dismiss him. Oh, well. He was Halliwell. He had to try. "I get a bad feeling around him."

"Bad feeling?" Anne shook her head. "You want me to break up with a guy that is really sweet because you have a _bad feeling_? I am sorry, Chris, but that is simply not going to happen."

"I have never been wrong about someone before." He thought about that for moment. Oops. Gideon. Damn it. "Well, almost never."

Anne rolled her eyes. "Are you jealous? Because this almost sounds as if you are. You are just upset because I found someone I fancy. I hear men who get a woman pregnant often get quite possessive. Chris, you have no reason to worry. You are the father and even if by some miracle this relationship were to get serious, you will definitely not be left out. Okay?"

"Jealous?" Chris asked incredulously. How could she think that of him? They had lived together for a month. He had never once treated her like a possession. He didn't even hover over her...yet. Granted he knew that he probably would once she was further along, but for the moment she had as much space as any woman could want. What in the hell was she thinking? "I'm am _not_ jealous. I'm concerned. Bad feelings in my family tend to lead to demons."

He knew immediately that was the wrong thing to say because she started glaring at him. Stood up from the table and started working on the dishes left over from the night before. More clanking was heard than usual. Chris shook his head. "Anne, I'm serious." CRASH. "Would you stop breaking the dishes and just listen to me?"

The water shut off. Anne turned around, her blue eyes flashing. "No. You are being ridiculous. My beau is not a demon. Just stop."

"I can't. I'm just looking out for our unborn child."

For some reason that really pissed her off. Storming off to her room, she slammed the door. Chris jumped slightly. He shook his head, glowering at her closed door. "Stupid, pig-headed woman. I am _not _jealous!" He shouted the last part so she could hear.

He was met by stone silence. The witch leaned back in his chair. "I am not jealous."

000

Almost three weeks had gone by and Anne still wasn't talking to him. Not really anyway. She kept to pleasantries. He tried to apologize for thinking the guy was a demon, even though he still thought her boyfriend gave off a bad vibe. She wouldn't listen. Said he was lying. Which, he kind of was. The guy did seem nice. Perfect gentleman as far as Chris could tell, but something was nagging at the witch-whitelighter that wouldn't let him trust the guy completely. Not that it mattered. Even if he did give in and admit he was wrong someday, Anne would just think she was right and then lecture him again on how he had promised to stay out of her social life. Which he did. Usually.

Tonight he had just wanted to go to sleep. That's all he wanted. He wasn't going to be able to do so though. Not with the noises coming from the room next door. God, he hated hearing that. Anne moaning in pleasure. The guy's heavy breathing. It was enough to make him ill. Maybe he could crash on the couch in the manor? Their bed started squeaking. Chris groaned and pulled his pillow over his head trying to block the sounds. It didn't work.

Sitting up in frustration, Chris glared at the wall as though they could feel his wrath through the barrier. When the noises just got louder, then died out, Chris let out a relieved breath. Thank goodness that didn't last long. He smirked. Not long at all. Judging by the lack of noise at the moment, Anne didn't seemed as pleased as she had been when she and Chris had been together. Where the hell had _that_ come from? He shook his head. "Bad Chris. Very very bad."

Flopping backwards into a laying position, he could almost feel sleep coming when a shrill scream came from the other room. Jumping out of bed, he ran to Anne's door, trying to open it. It was locked. "Anne!"

"Chris!"

With no other option than to expose magic to Ben, Chris orbed in. He wasn't entirely surprised by what he saw. The guy had an athame in one hand, blinked and reappeared next to Anne who was now next to Chris at the door. Taking a swing at Anne with the athame, the warlock was surprised when she went up in a swirl of white and blue lights. He then growled at Chris who was lowering his hand from having sent her to a different room. "Whitelighter!"

Pissed off didn't begin to cover what Chris felt. "You wish." Using his telekinesis, he tossed the guy into the wall with such a force his body left an indentation. Before the warlock could blink out, Chris raised his hand then slowly began to clench it. Ben started grasping at his heart, unable to stop thinking about the utter pain and fear he felt long enough to blink out of harm's way. A moment later, he fell over dead on the carpet. . .another moment passed and he exploded into flames.

Chris jumped as he noticed that Anne had returned from his room, where he had orbed her to. "Did he hurt you?"

She couldn't speak. The poor woman was in utter shock, staring at the scorch mark that was now her dead ex-boyfriend. Her breathing was irregular and Chris worried she would pass out if she didn't start breathing correctly again. He put his arm around her and guided her to his bedroom, knowing that being in that room would be hard for her for a while. Moving her to the bed, he watched her sit automatically. She was shaking. He moved to grab one of the spare blankets he had setting on the extra chair in the room. He used it to cover her shoulders.

"Anne, I need to know if he hurt you. Can you nod or shake your head? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"Why did you go back in that room?" Chris asked, more to himself than to her. He just didn't understand why she would want to see the demon.

"I was scared."

He frowned, even though he was pleased and surprised that she seemed calmed down enough to talk again. He didn't like hearing that she was afraid. "You were safer in here. I had him trapped in that room. He wasn't going to be able to blink after you."

"For you." She replied softly. "I was scared for you."

Chris sighed. "You don't have to be scared for me. I can protect myself. You can't. You don't have any powers to fight with. Or even to defend yourself with. I don't want you putting yourself in danger. If a demon attacks and I orb you out, stay out. Promise me."

"I disappeared."

"What?"

Anne looked up into his eyes. "Before he attacked me. He startled me. I felt this light feeling wash over me...I ended up falling onto the floor. He said he knew it. He said he felt the magic inside me, growing. That's when he attacked."

"You orbed?"

"I don't know."

Chris sighed, seeing how pale she was. Anne looked like death. "We'll have to deal with this latest development tomorrow. You're exhausted. You need sleep." He watched her nod slowly starting to stand. "No. Sleep in here. I'll take your room until you're ready to go back in there."

"Thank you."

Anne crawled to the top of the bed. She was surprised when Chris came over and covered her with the blankets, tucking her in like she was a little girl instead of a full grown woman. He asked her if she needed anything. She shook her head. Then, without realizing it, she started crying. He was being so good to her, and she had been positively awful towards him for the last month. "Chris, I am so s-sorry. I should h-h-have listened to you."

He squatted next to the bed. Brushing her hair out of her face he smiled softly. "It's okay. I didn't believe my own mother when she told me my first girlfriend was a demon. You don't want to see it. If you believe it, then you think you may never find a normal person to care about you. I understand. Really. I mean, we've been friends for just a month. We still have a lot of growing to do before we develop any substantialtrust."

"I do trust you, Chris."

Chris gave her a small smile. Bending over, he kissed her on the forehead. Giving her one last look over to make sure she was okay, the witch-whitelighter headed out of the room. He didn't notice the look in Anne's eyes, though. He hadn't seen what was growing behind them. Chris had saved her life. Chris was the father of her unborn child. Chris cared not just for the child, but for her too. They were living together. She was starting to wonder if maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She was starting to wonder if maybe her heart would end up getting broken because after all that he had done for her, and all that she knew about Chris, Anne Cramer felt herself starting to fall in love with him. The pact they had made in the kitchen last month slipped from her mind. She wanted Chris.

000

5months later. . .

Anne rolled her eyes as Chris grabbed the box she was carrying from her and placed it on the shelf. She was pregnant, not an invalid. It wasn't even heavy. He had been doing things like that for almost two weeks. She'd try to vacuum; he'd tell her to sit down, that he'd do it. Dusting seemed to be the only thing he'd actually let her do. Said it wasn't too hard on her or the baby. As much as she appreciated his concern– reveled in it actually-she really hated being babied to this extent. She was training to be a doctor for crying out loud. She knew what was okay and what wasn't. Anne cringed as she thought about what Chris would be like the further along she got. No. She was _not_ going to put up with it that long.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Chris asked, noticing the evil eye being shot in his direction. "You should rest and relax. You work hard enough at the hospital. Let me handle this stuff."

"Would your mother put up with being treated like an invalid?"

Chris put down the dish he had been drying, and folded his arms. "Invalid? I don't think I'm that bad."

"You won't even let me vacuum."

"The vacuum is heavy."

"No. It's not."

"Yes. It is."

"Not."

"Is."

"Chris, it is not heavy! I am perfectly capable of handling the minor tasks that any woman deals with when she is pregnant! Single mothers have to. Besides you aren't my husband. Not even my beau! You have no right to decide what I can and cannot do!"

The young man was about to respond that he had a right as the baby's father, but his sentence died inhis throatwhen he spotted a fire starting to creep up the curtains. "Oh, crap."

Grabbing the extinguisher hanging on the kitchen wall, the witch-whitelighter made quick work to put the fire out. Turning back to Anne he sighed. "Alex's powers are growing. He is a fire-starter, so when you get mad from now on, things may end up going up in flames. Powers are linked to emotions."

"Oh, bloody fantastic." Anne replied, looking down to her stomach. "Your mum isn't used to all this magic, so couldn't you go a bit easy on her?"

Chris grinned. "I don't think begging is going to work."

"What will? I can't very well go around randomly orbing from place to place or setting things on fire. I have no control over his magic, so what do we do?"

"We already talked about the orbing. Alex sensed danger, so his orbing ability kicked in to protect you. Problem is you didn't know how to use it. Now, you've got a pretty good grasp on it. The trigger being fear either for yourself or someone else. Granted, you have some problemswith the landingsstill, and you sometimes accidently orb out when startled, but even my Aunt Paige still does that from time to time. Honestly, for a mortal you're doing really great. As for the fire. . .you just need to learn to control your temper."

Anne sat down at the table, then lowered her head onto her arms. "I cannot do this. I am simply not good at any of this magic nonsense. I am going to end up starting the wholeplace on fire."

Feeling sorry for the young woman, Chris took a seat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Look at me."

She lifted her head, her blue eyes clouded over with despair. "What?"

"You are going to be fine. You will learn to control this too. I promise. Besides I'll be there to help you learn. We handled the whole orbing issue, didn't we? The accidental orbing doesn't happen nearly so often. This will be controlled too. It just takes time and patience." He smiled encouragingly.

Anne noticed how when he smiled like that his eyes grew a brighter shade of green, and made him look so incredibly sexy. She was so fixated on his eyes that she barely heard him say that he had faith in her. Staring into those eyes was like watching a gold watch go back and forth, calming, hypnotizing. The next thing she knew her lips had captured Chris', and her tongue was searching out his. When he didn't reciprocate, she pulled away, her face bright red. "Sorry. Don't know what came over me. Must be hormones and the like." Before he could even respond, she ran into her room.

Chris could only blink and stare after her.

000

A few days had gone by since the kiss. Nothing had really changed on the surface between them. Neither one brought the incident up. Not that Chris would've minded talking about it. He wanted to know where that had come from, and if she wanted it to go somewhere. He wanted to know because he couldn't stop thinking about it. He was a very nice guy, but he was still a man with needs and desires, that hadn't been met since the night Alex was conceived almostsix months ago. Before that, it had been almost two years. He imagined this was why that kiss had sent his hormones into a tail spin. He couldn't stop thinking about sex. Worse yet, living with Anne, she happened to be the one his thoughts fell to most frequently.

She would be stooping to pick something up, and as hard as he tried to stop himself, he couldn't help but glance at her backside. Anne would be in her pajamas drinking a hot cup of tea before bed, and he would notice how she wasn't wearing a bra anymore. Her lips when she spoke seemed entrancing anymore. The way her hips and backside moved when she walked was alluring. Even the fact that her stomach was starting to show signs of pregnancy with _his_ son was sexy as hell. Of course as badly as he felt about thinking of her as some sexual object, he couldn't seem to help it. He would shake his head and mentally scold himself, but then his mind would flash from the kiss to the night in the backroom of P3, and he would find himself staring at her again.

He happened to be studying heramazing blueeyes when she caught him. Frowning, she folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head in amusement. "Chris?"

Jumping slightly at being caught off guard, the witch-whitelighter reddened. "Yeah?"

"Why are you staring at me like I am dinner?"

"I wasn't." He looked away from her, unable to stop staring at her ruby lips. Focusing on the wall, he kept lying. "I was just thinking about some things."

"Such as?"

Chris stopped himself from fidgeting. "The future. My family. How I have to work tonight at P3, and that after close I have to do inventory, which I hate. That sort of stuff."

"You are lying."

"No, I'm not."

"I can tell because your eyes go a darker shade of green. Like they are trying to hide how you really feel about the subject. Nervous or scared or happy. Just hiding emotion. That is when I can tell you are either really upset or lying."

Chris wanted to shake his head at the irony of a perfect stranger figuring out his tell in less time than it took his own family to find him out. They still couldn't really tell when he wasn't being honest. Yet, Anne, a woman he had only known for five and a halfmonths had him caught. Impressive. "Okay. So, you realize I don't want to talk about it, right?"

"I think you should talk about it. It does involve me after all." She blushed suddenly, looking away as if she were the one in trouble. "What I did. . ."

The young man didn't understand what she was talking about at first. Then, it clicked. She was blaming herself for his behavior because she had kissed him. "It isn't you."

"Then why can't you look me in the eyes anymore?"

Chris debated whether or not to be honest. If he lied, the problem wouldn't go away, and she would wonder what was wrong, and things could get even more complicated and a whole lot more difficult for both of them. If he did tell her, she could think he was some sort of pig, who took her innocent little slip as something more than it was. Still, at least they could work through it if he told her, right? He took a breath. "I can't look you in the eyes because I'm afraid of what you'll see in mine."

"How do you mean?"

Now, he fidgeted. "Well, I. . ." he couldn't look at her when he said it. "I keep thinking about that kiss. . .and how sexy you are. Can't stop thinking that lately. Everything you do turns me on."

"Really?"

Chris' head whipped up at the tone of her voice. She sounded almost. . .excited. Still a slight shade of red, the witch-whitelighter nodded. "Yeah. You're an amazing woman. You shouldn't be surprised that I noticed."

"You are pretty amazing yourself."

"Anne...I don't know where our relationship might lead, but-"

Without hesitating she moved to him, silencing him with all the passion and love that had been building inside of her since the moment she realized she had started to fall for him. This time, her kiss was returned. Their tongues meeting in a graceful, passion-filled dance. Without missing a beat, Chris orbed them both to his bedroom. Removing her shirt, he planted hot wet kisses on her collar bone, slowly working his way down. She moaned happily as he reached a sensitive spot. The pleasure drove her own desire to please and she made quick work of his belt, tossing it aside and unfastening his pants. At the same time, Chris guided them onto the bed with him on top. With him on top of her, Anne lost her concentration on his pants and smiled in ecstasy as he sucked gently on her neck while unclasping her bra. Once he had it off, she took initiative and slipped his shirt off, working her own hot kisses on his chest. Things began to really heat up, and Chris moaned as she found a good spot. However that wasn't all he did. One word slipped from his mouth. One word that changed everything. "Bianca."

Anne pulled away, a hurt look more than evident on her face. Without thinking, she pushed him hard, causing him to tumble off the bed, landing hard on his back. She rose swiftly, tossing her shirt on as she left him calling her name and apologizing profusely. When she reached her room, she sat on the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands. "What a bloody idiot you are! You knew he loved her and always would. What the hell did you expect?"

"You could have expected to be treated a hell of a lot better than that." Chris replied from the doorway, looking like hell. "I'm so sorry."

"I do _not_want to hear it." She turned her back on him. "Just go."

"Anne?"

"Get out!"

Not wanting to upset her anymore than he already had, Chris left, not knowing whether he would be welcome back or not. He hoped for the sake of his unborn son, that he hadn't screwed up so badly that it could never be fixed. He had treated her like a sexual object and not a person. He should have known he wasn't ready...that he couldn't be with Anne.

Anne closed her eyes, not allowing tears to fall. "What am I going to do? Lord help me, I love you, Christopher."

tbc. . .


	17. A Little Advice from Mom

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! For being such wonderful readers, I'm going to give you what you asked for. Hehe Enjoy!

CHAPTER 17

**A Little Advice from Mom**

Piper Halliwell checked her watch again, sure that it had to be wrong. Surely, her neurotic, perfectionist of a son wouldn't be late for his shift. It simply was inconceivable. He was nothing if not responsible. She tapped on the watch face wondering if maybe she could jar it into working properly. However, as she glanced up at the clock glowing on the wall of her office, the numbers were the same. Chris was actually late for work.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to call for him, a set of blue and white lights appeared before her, forming into her adult son. He looked terrible. His hair was sticking up at odd angles all over, his clothes were rumpled-something he hated (he was after all her son and tidiness was everything), and most of all his eyes were a dark, tired color, which made his skin seem even more pale. She wondered if he might be sick.

"Chris, sweetie, are you okay?"

Two misery filled green eyes looked at her, silently begging for her help. "No, mom. I'm really not."

The young woman thought she might die of a heart attack. For her son to admit that he wasn't just peachy was a very serious thing. Chris was a martyr, never wanting to be a bother to anyone. Well, that and he always thought he could handle everything on his own. He'd had to before, but hopefully this meant he was coming to terms with having his family's support again. However, it was still a troubling statement coming from him. "What happened? Are you sick?"

When he merely fidgeted uncomfortably, Piper moved toward him, instinctively placing a hand on his forehead to check for any signs of a fever. He jerked out of her reach, mumbling that it wasn't him. . .exactly. She frowned up at him. "Chris, what's wrong if it isn't _you_ exactly?"

Her son let out a breath, but refused to look her in the eyes now. Instead, his focus seemed to be her shoes. "I think I may have just ruined everything."

"What's _everything_?"

"With Anne. . .and Alex."

Piper sighed then gestured for her son to take a seat. This was going to be a long conversation and there was no reason they couldn't be comfortable. So, when he had sat down in her desk chair, she half sat on and half leaned against her desk. Glancing down at her guilt filled son, Piper wondered what on earth could have happened between them that would cause a reaction like this in him. "You know, it's probably not as bad as you think it is. Your dad and I fight all the time, and we love each other. It's just different living with another person."

"It's not the living arrangement. . .exactly."

She frowned at the use of the qualifier. "Oookaaay. Then what is it? Help me out here, Chris, I'm doing my best, but I'm not understanding what the problem is if it isn't you and it isn't the living arrangements." When he only shifted nervously, she sighed in frustration. As much as she loved her son, talking to him could be like talking to a brick wall. Why couldn't he trust her enough to confide in her? She was his mother for crying out loud! Who better to trust?

"I did something." He winced at the memory. "Something awful."

"I doubt it was as bad as you think."

Chris glanced up at her frowning, a troubled look in his eyes. "I did a lot of terrible things to you, my aunts, and especially Dad, so how can you just brush off what I just said? I trapped you in pocket realms, nearly getting you all killed. I banished Dad to Valhalla. I've killed innocents in order to accomplish my mission. I'm not innocent."

"Why are you bringing all that up?"

"I just. . ." he shook his head, unsure even himself. After a moment to puzzle out his thoughts, he realized why. Softly, fearful like a small boy he answered her. "I'm tired of always being guilty. I try to do the right thing, but I end up hurting people." His brows furrowed further. "Am I really any better than Wyatt was? Or am I like Gideon? Doing wrong in the name of the greater good?"

Piper was startled by that train of thought. "No. You are nothing like them. You did what you did to save the world. They were twisted and evil. You are good. Some of the things you did were a little on the gray side, but you were scared and alone, and trying desperately to stop history from repeating itself. I'm so proud of you for everything you have done." She saw him blush. "I mean it. Now, I don't know why you are suddenly so worried about being evil and always hurting people, but you better stop thinking that way right now, Mister."

"I hurt Anne." Chris argued. "I hurt her when all I wanted to do was help her and be there for Alex." He shook his head. "I always want to help, but I end up hurting people."

"That doesn't make you evil, Sweetie. That makes you human." She watched as he closed his eyes, obviously not believing her entirely. She folded her arms over her chest. "What did you do _exactly_ to hurt her?"

Chris' cheeks reddened drastically. His fidgeting became worse as well. "She. . .I think she cares about me. . ._really_ cares about me. I didn't see it before. I was too fixated on Alex and missing Bianca to stop and look at what was in front of me. Well, she kissed me. . ."

"And. . .?" When he didn't answer, the Eldest Charmed One started guessing. "You didn't respond, and her feelings were hurt?" He shook his head. "You kissed her back and things got a little intense?" He made a face that was neither a yes or a no. She put her hands on her hips. "Did you sleep with her, then become all distant? What, Chris? Because I really don't see where this is going?"

"We were. . ." he sighed feeling highly uncomfortable talking about this with his mother. It was his sex life, and he never dreamed of talking about _that_ with her. Maybe in a nightmare. Like this one. "Things were getting. . ." He decided to borrow the word his mother had just used. "Intense. But we didn't sleep together because. . ." How on earth was he supposed to tell his mother what he had done?

Piper frowned. "You couldn't. . .you know. . ." she gestured vaguely, "perform?"

"Geez, Mom!" He pulled a face of utter disgust. "Did you have to ask _that_?"

"Well, I don't know what happened!" She threw back. "Besides, it's perfectly natural for a young man to have problems now and then."

"Mom! Stop. Please."

Piper shrugged. "Well, it is." After a moment of watching her son go through various disgusted looks, she rolled her eyes. "Okay, so if it wasn't that, then what was the problem?"

"I can't believe I'm discussing my sex life with my mom." He muttered into his hands, which were currently covering his bright red face.

"Chris, you are 23. If you _weren't_ having sex by now I'd be worried."

Chris sighed, raising his head from his hands. "All right. Fine. You're comfortable with this, and I need advice, so I'm just going to say it. I accidentally. . ." he winced again. "I said Bianca's name."

"What? Christopher Perry Halliwell, don't I raise you better than that? No wonder you feel so guilty. You should! If your father ever called out his ex-wife's name he'd be blown up so fast. . ." She noticed the misery return to his eyes and paused mid-rant. "Okay. I will agree with you that this is very very bad. It isn't the end of the world, though."

"How can you say that? I called out another woman's name!"

Piper made a face. "Yeah, that is bad." Again the wince from her son. She gave him a sympathetic look. "You really should have gone to Pheobe. She's the advice columnist. I'm not sure what to tell you."

"You were always better with helping me than Pheobe. She didn't understand me. Aunt Pheobs always tried to help by giving me the same advice she would give a stranger, and I need more than that. I need advice that only my mom can provide. Someone who loves me no matter how stupid I act. Who won't compare me to case studies and spout off psycho-babble. Please, Mom, just tell me what you think _I_ should do." He glanced to the floor shyly. "I'm desperate."

His mother sighed, willing to at least try to help him. Especially considering he had just revealed a little bit about their future relationship. It was nice to know she was and would be a good mother with helpful advice. She just hoped she could figure something out this time. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. Why were you and Anne doing that?"

"Sex?" Chris replied, a little confused by the question. Opting for his sarcasm he continued. "Well, you see when a man and woman start kissing and the situation is getting intense-as you called it- they tend to want to," he put up finger quotes, "_do that_."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Smartass. I meant why did you _let_ things get that far. If you are still completely in love with Bianca and don't feel anything for Anne, why did you kiss her back?"

"I do still love Bianca." Chris replied firmly, his sense of humor gone now. "But. . .I don't entirely know how I feel about Anne." He sighed, then looked to the floor, as if it would help him focus. When he looked up, his mother could see the gears in his brain in motion. He began speaking more to himself than to Piper. "She's the mother of my child. I mean, that alone gives her a special place in my life. . .maybe in my heart. Of course, we did have something that one night- that is how Alex was conceived. Was it more than just a one night stand, though? Sure, I wanted companionship; I'd been alone so long, and I was scared, but was it more? Why her? I'd been hit on a couple of times that night, but I didn't even talk to them. It was just something about her. A connection."

"I know you may not want to hear this, Chris, but I don't think you and Bianca were meant to be. Look at everything that happened while you were together. All the pain. She even tried to kill you at least once. Besides, you're here and she's back in the future. Destiny is not on your side. Maybe it's trying to tell you something." Piper smiled softly, moving to her son's side and placing a hand on his. "In our family, nothing happens without reason."

Chris looked to his mother, his eyes soft and bright in the dim light of the backroom. "I loved her so much, Mom. We went through so much together. Together we lead a resistance and saved innocents. We were there for one another when no one else cared. She taught me how to do what was necessary to survive. . .to be stronger than I ever would have been otherwise. I taught her how to trust. . .to love. Now she's gone. She's gone, and I feel lost without her. She was my partner, my friend, my lover, and now, she's supposed to be dead to me? Maybe, we weren't meant to be together, but I can't stop myself from loving her. I'm afraid that my heart will always belong to her." He lowered his eyes. "Even if I would want to give it to someone else."

Piper listened as her son poured his heart out to her, and felt her own cry for him. Her baby boy was so confused. . .pained. She had never talked to Chris about Bianca before. Mostly because she hated her from the first time she saw Bianca in the back room when the assassin first tried to strip Chris of his powers. She hated the leather clad, vixen look. She hated the way Bianca claimed to love her son, but betrayed him, stripped his powers and drug him to the future to face his all powerful evil brother. Hell, Piper even hated the woman for dying. For the pain her death had caused Chris in the time that followed. Now, she hated Bianca for not being older than four in the present time, but still having a hold on her son. Holding him back from finding happiness with another.

"I think I could love Anne." Chris broke into her thoughts with his soft voice. His eyes were still glued to his mother's shoes. "She's great. Smart, strong, fun, loyal-a lot like you in those ways. So many things about her remind me of you or of Bianca. She's such a wonderful woman. That's why things got as far as they did. I'm attracted to her. Could it ever be more than that? I just. . .I just don't know."

"Don't you think you should try?" Piper asked gently. When he didn't respond, she lifted his head with her hand, forcing him to look in her the eyes. His jade eyes were the dark emerald that she long ago learned meant that he was full of sorrow. They broke her heart to see. She smiled weakly. "Sweetie, I think you do know. You do care about Anne. Things could become serious between you two. . .love, marriage-anything is possible. Don't you want those things?"

"Yes."

"Then fight for them. Don't let yourself give up."

Chris shook his head. "I don't know, Mom. I mean, would you be able to truly love again if you lost Dad?"

Piper was thrown by the question. She had lost Leo once. It was the most painful time in her life. She almost didn't recover from the pain, almost-like her son-gave up on love. In time, she tried to move on. Moved on in every direction available. One date after the other, just trying to forget Leo. She never did though. He was always in her heart and mind. However, with her and Leo hope existed. Chris didn't have any hope. If he didn't move on, the only other option would be to always be alone. So, Piper lied. "I think so. It would hurt like hell, but I'd do it. You saw me try to move on. If you hadn't tricked Greg into thinking Leo and I were back together, who knows what would have happened? Does that answer your question?"

"I guess." He let out a breath. Looking much younger than Piper had ever seen him, Chris looked at her with wide green eyes, open and honest and full of fear. "I'm scared, Mom. What if I can't move on? What if I try to, and I just end up hurting Anne even worse? Alex is depending on me. He needs me to be in his life this time. I need to be there for my son, Mom, and if something bad were to happen between Anne and me. . .she could take him away from me."

"If something good happened between you and Anne, you could give Alex a real family."

Chris nodded, a small smile forming at the thought. "That'd be awesome. Wish it were that easy."

"It is. Just have faith in yourself. You can handle this. You managed to change the future of the world single handedly. I think you can handle a little romantic complication."

"How? Where do I even start?"

"Take the night off. Go back to her."

Chris paused, uncertainty in his jade eyes. "She told me she wanted me out. Said she didn't want to see me."

"She was upset. She's probably calmed down by now and wants to talk. Apologize profusely. Make her feel cared for. Don't touch her, though. Not even a finger. It would just make things worse. Beg, plead, do whatever you have to do to get back in her good graces. It's for my grandson after all."

"Okaaay, but what about the club? It's my night to close. You should be getting back to mini-me and Wyatt."

Piper waved him off. "Don't worry so much. I'm the parent that's my job. Now, go." When he didn't move she put her hands on her hips. Her voice grew harsher and her brown eyes flashed. If he wouldn't leave when she tried to be nice, she would scare him out. "Christopher Perry Halliwell. Go. Now."

For her efforts she received a small smile and a quick hug right before her adult son went up in a column of lights. As she watched him go, she shook her head. "My baby boy, you better hope for a miracle. . .and a fire extinguisher."

000

Anne glanced up at the sound of bells jingling. She had grown accustomed to the sound, and recognized it as orbing. It seemed a Halliwell was in the house. The young woman hoped it was Leo because she really didn't want to deal with Chris. She was still really really angry with him. And hurt. More than anything, she was hurt.

The one person she didn't want to see came up to her doorway, leaning on the frame. He looked like hell, she'd give him that. Still, just the sight of him made her body ache, her stomach churn, her heart rip in two, and the anger in her veins scorch her soul. When she looked up at him, she knew it was all going to pour out. All of the emotions she had for him-good and bad.

Tears filled her eyes and she stood, slowly moving toward him. He didn't move. He didn't change the miserable look on his face. Instead, he waited for her to say something. Anne didn't say anything though. She just stared at him at a distance of a foot. Stared and cried. Just when he thought she was waiting for him to say something, the trash can next to the bed started on fire. Chris orbed it into the bathroom shower, and only turning his head to see into the room, telekinetically turned on the shower's cold water. The fire went out quickly. He shut off the water in the same manner, then turned and watched as Anne's face went from rage to just blind anger.

She shook her head, tears diving off her lashes. "How could you not know? How could you not realize!" Without realizing what she was doing she started hitting his chest. Emphasizing each statement with a series of punches. "You stupid Yank! You stupid self-absorbed, Bastard! You pig! You louse! Scum! You are rubbish! Rubbish that needs to be thrown out, you hear me, Halliwell! Get out! You make me sick! You. . .make me. . .sick." The punches slowed then stopped, and she began leaning into him, sobbing. Chris held her as she spoke into his chest. "I loved you. I loved you, and you didn't even notice."

Chris didn't know she loved him. Hadn't seen that coming at all. He knew she cared about him deeply. Could tell that by the way she had kissed him, but love? No, he hadn't known that. He wasn't even sure what to think of it at the moment, except that it made him feel even more guilty than before. He closed his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" She pulled away, looking into his jade eyes with her ice blue. Her hair was sticking to her wet cheeks, but she didn't seem to even notice. Shaking her head, she merely continued with her questioning look. "Why would you be sorry? This is all my bloody fault. All of it. I should never have shagged you the first time. Strike one, as you say. I should have never invited you to stay in my flat. Strike two. More than all the rest, I never, ever should have allowed myself to fall for you. Strike third. I'm out. Game over."

That didn't sound good. Chris felt hope slipping. When she started to turn her back to him, he held her still, forcing her to look at him. "Game over?"

"I am through, Chris. I cannot and will not do this. I love you, and you can never love me back." Something changed in her then, her eyes no longer soft, but rather like steel. "She has your heart and always will."

Again she tried to turn away from him, but was stopped by his strong hands. "Don't tell me who has my heart forever and always, Anne. I'm the only one who can decide that."

She bit her lower lip nervously, ignoring the burning desire to press him onward. To ask him what he meant by that. Surely it wasn't possible that he was considering trying to have a real relationship with her. Right? She was no one compared to the love of his life. A nothing. A mere sexual object by the way he had treated her earlier. He couldn't have changed his mind. . .or his heart. Could he have?

"Anne, I can't promise you anything-I'd be a liar if I did. Still," he drifted off, his nerve fading. "I. . ." looking into her hopeful eyes was enough to crack him. So pure, so innocent. She knew nothing of heartache did she? Would he be the one to teach her? God, he hoped not. "I care about you, and if you're still willing, I think we should try to make this work."

"This being?" Anne asked, frightened that she had mis-understood his meaning.

Chris smiled slightly. "Us." The smile growing on the woman's face strengthened him, allowing him to continue. "We'd have to go slow. I still have a lot to deal with, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you again. So. . .?" he left the question hanging, wondering if maybe she would turn him down, smiling because she would have revenge for what he had done to hurt her.

"Slow?" She grinned, nodding her head slowly. "I do believe I can manage that." She laughed lightly at the obvious relief that flooded the young man's face. She folded her arms and feigned indignance. "Oh, come on now, I am not that scary am I?"

"Um...yeah. Yeah you are. The whole ability to set me on fire might have something to do with it."

Anne's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, in that case, maybe you should fetch me a burrito to stop the horrible craving I have right now. Never know what I may set on fire next, right?"

Chris chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, maam." Giving her a mock salute before orbing out to do as the mother of his child commanded, the young man's laughter filled the air with joy.

The young woman laughed out-right as well, surprised he had actually gone to get one. She had only been teasing. Well, the craving was real, but she hadn't had any intention of actually making him go out to fix it. She had to say it was nice, though. Very nice. Maybe things were going to work out for them after all?

tbc. . .


	18. Preparing for Alex

**Preparing for Alex**

Chris frowned as he finished reading the last chapter of Baby's First Months: What Every First Time Parent Needs to Know. There were so many things to remember. Feed the baby every two hours. Breast milk or not? Chris shook his head. No idea. Had they mentioned that in the book? Check the diaper at what seemed to be never ending constantly changing times throughout the day and night. That sounded like a ton of fun. Do they see colors or not? Chris still didn't know. One specialist said yes, another no. So did he really have to buy all blue everything? Oh, and what bottle was right again? One with a curve or without? Wasn't one supposed to stop air bubbles? Chris frowned. Air bubbles were bad why? Gas? Doesn't everybody have to burp now and then anyway? Whatever. Nuks can be used for how long? Which ointment did they recommend? Baby should sleep on back says one, side says another and then another specialist says always, always on the side, otherwise, the baby will choke to death on their own saliva. Greeeaaaat. Go to the baby right away when it cries or wait a while to see if they calm down a bit on their own? Oh, hell.

The father to be groaned, then tossed the book over his shoulder and put his head in his hands. "I can't do this."

"Sure you can." Anne replied, surprisingly cheerful for this early in the morning. "You will be a wonderful father. I can tell." She sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. Her bright blue eyes lit up as he lifted his head. "Ah, there are my favorite green eyes in all the world. Come on cheer up, Chris. It's going to be a beautiful day!"

He shook his head, his frown deepening. "Who are you and what did you do with my girlfriend?"

She shrugged. "First time in a long time your son has chosen not to kick me as hard as he can in the kidneys first thing in the morning." She then winked. "Plus I have a surprise that I think might make you calm down, which in the end is better for the both of us. You are not a fun person to be around when you get all neurotic you know that?"

"So I've been told." He sighed. "This surprise? What is it?"

"Well," She hesitated now, starting to wonder what he would think about it. "Your mom said she could always use a babysitter, so I told her we would help her out by watching the boys today. By ourselves. Like practice."

"No way."

Anne tilted her head and let out a little frustrated sigh. "Chris, we need to practice. Our baby is magical, and goodness knows I have no clue how to watch a magical child, and you said yourself that you have never done the whole baby thing before. Do you even know how to change a diaper?"

"I watched Wyatt a couple times." He made a face. "God, that still sounds weird."

"Who better to practice on than the two most powerful babies in the world?" Anne nudged him playfully. "Come on. It might be fun."

Chris gave her a doubting look. "Watching myself and older brother? Sounds like a great time. Really. Just one big party."

Slowly standing, Anne turned her back on him. He didn't fail to notice her shoulders shaking slightly. Was she crying? Over this? Stupid hormones. Seemed like whenever they had the slightest disagreement lately she would cry. Of course she would get all embarrassed about it, but she wouldn't stop either. He always felt like such a jerk then. However, when she turned around again, her face was dry and she was smiling. She didn't seem upset at all. "All right then, I will watch them myself. How hard can it really be?"

"Two magical babies? Impossible. No way am I letting you do it alone. Me and Wyatt would slaughter you. I've heard stories about us. Wyatt once conjured a dragon that wreaked havoc all over the city. When I was two I summoned Darth Vader out of Star Wars. If we pulled something, you wouldn't be able to fix it."

Anne smiled discreetly. Her evil plan was working. "No, Chris, you said you didn't want. I respect that. Really, everything will be fine. You stay here, and keep reading your book, while I help your mum."

"I'm coming with. That's final. You wouldn't last ten seconds alone with both me and Wyatt."

The woman shrugged, fighting the laughter she felt growing. "Well, if you insist."

000

"Don't forget to put ointment on Chris' diaper rash." Piper reminded as she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. She shook her head. "Baby Chris. I should really make sure to specify that, huh? Otherwise it just sounds bad."

Courtney smiled as she saw the color rise in Chris' face. For as confident a man as her boyfriend was he certainly could be embarrassed quite easily when people started making comments about his rashes, bottom, diaper or breast feeding. Poor boy. "Don't worry, Piper, we have everything under control."

"Right. Well, Chris can always come get me if something goes wrong, right?" She smiled, kissed her babies on the forehead, hugged her adult son then disappeared out the door.

"Is she always so high strung?"

Chris chuckled and nodded. "Worse."

"Kwis." Wyatt toddled over holding his arms up to the dark haired witch. He laughed as the man picked him up and swung him up in the air. A joyful squeal erupted from the tiny Twice Blessed Witch as his older younger brother placed him back on the floor. He loved playing airplane.

Anne had moved over to the youngest Halliwell and was cooing. "Oh, Chris, you were so adorable as a babe." She picked up the nearly one year old child and cuddled him. "What a sweetie. Yes, you are."

Suddenly, baby Chris went up in a swirl of blue lights which went up through the ceiling, disappearing. Wyatt giggled. "Baby orb!"

The adult counterpart frowned and knelt down in front of the toddler. "Wyatt, why did you do that?"

"No." Wyatt shook his head. "Baby orb."

Anne moved over to stand next to them, a slightly panicked look in her eyes. "Where did he go? Where did Wyatt send him? Oh my god. We lost Piper's son. We are going to die. She's going to use her powers on us, isn't she? Well, not on you because well, you are family. Me? I'm going to be blown into tiny British pieces."

"You're babbling." Chris informed her absently, focused on his baby older brother. He knew that when he and Wyatt were really young his sibling would get jealous and usually orb him to their grandpa's house or to different parts of the manor. It was usually obvious though. His mom had told him that Wyatt would raise his hand to do it. He had been watching Wyatt, the toddler had his hands up towards the adult Chris not the baby. He wasn't even thinking about his little brother. He had wanted to be spun around again. Baby orb? Did he mean what Chris thought he meant?

"Well, I can't really stop myself from babbling. The baby is missing. Orbed into a volcano for all we know."

Chris turned to her, frowning. "I think we would know." He discreetly gestured to himself, pointing out the fact that what happened to baby Chris would probably affect him somehow. When she nodded and let out a calming breath he continued. "Now, when did you become such a drama queen? Seriously, you've been acting weird all day."

"Hormones?"

"Try again."

Anne bit her lower lip. "Do you know what day it is today?"

"Friday."

The young woman rolled her eyes. "No. It's the thirteenth. _Friday the thirteenth._"

"So?" He paused. "You mean you actually believe in that?"

Anne rolled her eyes. "Well, I didn't used to believe in witches or angels or demons but look who I'm with. Anyway, Friday the thirteenth used to be a good luck day for me, but as the day goes on, this utter feeling of dread within me keeps getting worse. I wondered if maybe since everything else about magic and such was real, maybe today had some sort of horrible significance as well. Maybe that's why the baby is gone."

"No, he just figured out how to orb himself." Chris smiled. "Talented little kid. It took me a year and a half."

"Why are you not concerned?"

"You forget that one of my powers is the ability to sense. He's with Piper at the club. He missed mom I guess."

Anne let out a relieved breath. "Thank the stars." She smiled as Wyatt giggled and lifted his arms again. "And you were worried you'd be a bad father. Look at how Wyatt acts around you. He adores you."

"I guess." Chris replied, allowing himself a smile at the compliment. He sighed. "Piper is calling. I should go get the baby. Will you be okay with Wyatt by yourself?"

"Sure."

Chris gave her a quick kiss, then orbed off to bring himself back to the manor.

Anne turned to Wyatt, who looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry, Little One, I know you want to spin, but I can't do that. Do you want to play with the blocks instead?"

"Kwis!" Wyatt started to cry. Scream really. He flopped down on the floor, his shrill voice startling Anne.

The young woman sat on the floor next to him. "Hey, it's okay. We can have lots of fun. Besides, Chris will be right back. Both of them. Come on, no more tears, all right?"

The screams grew louder.

_You are going to be a horrible mother. You can't even calm the child._

Anne looked around the room, trying to find something she could use to please the child. She grabbed a toy fire truck and held it out to him. "Wyatt, look at this. Pretty neat isn't it?"

Still no positive reaction. Wyatt wanted Chris and that was that.

A figure appeared out of the shadows, an older man with gray hair and beady blue eyes. He smiled crookedly, his yellowing teeth showing through. He stepped forward slowly, smiling in amusement as Anne moved in front of Wyatt in some sad attempt to protect him. The demon shook his head. "Yours is too easy to read." He held out his hand, the palm facing in. "Your greatest fear is that you will fail as a mother and lose your child."

Anne clutched her stomach as pain erupted. "Oh, god no!"

Wyatt poked his head out from behind her. His gaze went from her to the demon and back again. Without hesitating the little boy lifted his hands. "Kwis!"

Orb lights filled the room, revealing a surprised Chris holding his baby self. He took in the situation within seconds. Moving his younger version into one arm, he raised the other sending the demon flying backwards into the wall of the conservatory. Anne's cries grew sharper. Chris turned to her. "It's not real. Fight it!"

"The baby!" Anne looked up, her face stained with tears. "He's hurting the baby!"

Barbus grinned wickedly. "Your poor child will be all alone again. That is what you both truly fear." He pulled out a vile from his black coat and threw it at Chris, who was too surprised by the move to even telekinetically throw it back. It hit him on the shoulder, sending a black glow through him.

"Alex!" Anne cried, the hair by her face starting to turn white.

Chris was about to reply that it was just an illusion, but he didn't have to. Wyatt suddenly moved to his side and pointed at Barbus. Then next thing anyone knew, the demon of fear went up in flames. Chris could only blink in surprise. "Pointing? You can vanquish one of our family's oldest nemesis by pointing and blinking? Not cool."

"Pwane!" Wyatt giggled holding up his arms again as though nothing had happened.

The dark haired witch sighed. "Later, Wy." He placed his baby version in the playpen and moved to the mother of his child. "Hey are you okay?"

"Who the bloody hell was that?"

Chris winced at the sharp look he was getting. "Barbus. Demon of Fear. My family keeps vanquishing him, and he keeps coming back."

"I meant what he threw at you."

"Potion. Didn't work. I mean, nothing happened, right?"

Anne frowned, not completely sure whether to believe him or not. She opted for trust and an I-told-you-so. "Now do you believe me about the Friday the thirteenth dread?"

"Coincidence?"

"Liar."

Chris sighed. "Okay, so I may have forgotten that some demons are allowed a pass on Friday the thirteenth, but it was taken care of rather efficiently by the two year old over there, so could you stop giving me the death glare?"

"Fine, just get me to a hospital would you?"

The young witch-whitelighter frowned in confusion. "What? Why? You aren't hurt are you?"

"No pain yet, but my water just broke."

Chris' eyes went wide. "Oh my god." He glanced down at the small lake forming at their feet. "Oh my god! You're in labor! But you aren't due for another month."

"I guess Barbus' attack sent me into premature labor." She yelped in pain as her first contraction hit. Grabbing hold of Chris, she squeezed hard. "Okay, that is not exactly pleasant."

"For me either." Chris muttered. He then wondered what this premature labor could mean. Had Alex been born prematurely the last time? Was this different? What did that mean for the Alex he had met? "This isn't supposed to be happening yet."

"Really? Tell that to your son." Anne rolled her eyes. "Leo!"

Blue and white lights swirled in through the ceiling forming into Leo. "Anne?"

"Sorry to cut the babysitting services short, but I have my own child to worry about."

Leo glanced from the young woman to his son, then beamed in excitement. "You're about to have the baby? This is wonderful! Go, don't worry about the boys. I can watch them. The elders can do without me for a while."

Anne smiled and grabbed hold of Chris' arm. "Ready when you are."

Chris blinked.

"Chris?"

Nothing.

Leo frowned. "Chris? Are you okay?" He moved forward and saw the distant, terrified look on his son's face. Jitters didn't begin to cover it. "Chris, everything is going to be fine. Just get Anne to the hospital. Chris, your son needs to come into the world now. Go."

Chris turned his head toward his father. He nodded numbly. Turning his attention back to Anne he took a deep breath and concentrated on the flying feeling that was orbing. Before he knew it, he was in the back alley behind the hospital. He took Anne's hand and together they went into the large white building, ready to greet their son into the world. Well, maybe Anne was ready...Chris felt like throwing up.

He had read the books. He had attempted to watch his baby self and his brother, and sure Wyatt seemed to really like him, but that was just because he was like a cool uncle. Being a father was totally different. He didn't think he could do it. He hadn't really ever had a very good example. His Leo had never been around. Wyatt had been too busy ruling the world to give a damn about being a role model. Victor? Victor tried. He really had, but in the end. . .he had left Chris too. Lung cancer. What if he was a horrible role model for his son? What if he couldn't do it? What if he failed Alex again?

As he watched Anne being rolled into the delivery room in a wheelchair, Chris felt things start to spin around him. His heart beat quickened and he couldn't catch his breath. This was not normal. Something was happening to him. The next thing he knew, he was collapsing on the floor of the hospital. His hair was white.

000

Nyru turned away from the image at the hospital smiling to himself. If he could get the father out of the way, the child would be his for the taking. Then, with a Halliwell by his side, he would destroy the rest of good magic. Nothing would get in his way. It was destiny.

tbc... wow, only a few more chappies left. Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Couldn't have gotten this far without you!


	19. Letting go of past fears

As always, I appreciate all of your reviews! You make my job easier :)

**Letting Go of Past Fears**

Anne screamed as another sharp, intense contraction hit her. She didn't cry out in pain though. She cried out in fear. Chris had been right behind her. He had been following two steps back the entire time, and now he was no where in sight. He wouldn't have just bailed on her. It wasn't in him to do so. He had battled tooth and nail to stay in the past to help her raise their son; his leaving just as she was about to give birth didn't fit into the equation. Something must have happened to him. Being as she was a rather quick woman, it hadn't taken Anne long to realize it was the potion Barbas had hit him with earlier. It had to have been. What the potion was or did, Anne didn't know. All she knew was that she needed back up. So, when she screamed during the contraction, it was a name on her lips. "LEO!"

The younger of the two nurses in the room brushed back her hair, trying to sooth her. "It's okay, honey. I'm sure the father will be here soon enough."

Another nurse, a plump one with wise eyes shook her head. She whispered to the other. "The father's name is Chris. Not Leo."

"Oh..." The young one forced a smile to Anne. "Leo...is that what you plan to name the child?"

Anne frowned up at her. Her normally bright, friendly blue eyes were a stormy shade at the moment. She had a very strong urge to slap the woman for being so stupid. How could she ask something like that? It was against policy to stick your nose in a patient's private life like that! What if Leo were her lover? What if she were cheating on Chris and was in great pain and guilt over it only to have some loud mouthed nurse bring it up at a rather inconvenient time? Anne rolled her eyes at herself. She really was losing it. Then she cringed as she realized she had just thought about having Leo as her lover. That was just plain disturbing.

Luckily, in that moment, Leo came in dressed in scrubs. He moved to her side and winked. In a conspiratorial tone, he whispered to her. "Found these in a supply closet, so I could come in and see what was going on without anyone taking too much notice. Piper is outside waiting to hear what's going on."

"Chris." Anne winced as another sharp pain hit her. "He's not here. There was a..." she glanced up at the nurses who were obviously listening to her and changed her wording, "a guest who arrived unexpectedly at the manor while we were watching the boys. He didn't stay long because Wyatt didn't like him, but he left Chris a. . ." she made a face to emphasize the word, "_present_."

Leo looked panicked in an instant. "What did the _guest_ look like?"

Again a wince. "Silver hair, long face, beady eyes. Chris said the guy kind of _scared_ him."

The Elder's face fell. Barbas. The demon who had done something to Chris was none other than the demon of fear, their family's worst enemy. This was bad. He had to get to Piper, so she and the sisters could get started on figuring out what the demon had done this time. First, they had to find Chris. "Where was the last place you saw Chris?"

"The waiting room. I was just about to come in. I thought he was right behind me."

"Don't worry. We'll find him and figure out what's going on. He won't miss his son's arrival. I promise."

Anne nodded. "I just hope he's okay."

000

Piper Halliwell had never been one for patience. Especially not when one of her children was involved. As soon as Leo told her what had happened back at the manor to Chris, her motherly instincts went on overdrive. She knew something horrible must have happened to her baby. What could Barbas have done this time? It had to have been serious if her son was missing the birth of his own child. Dread filled her heart as though it were blood. They had to find Chris. . .fast.

Practically running into the waiting area, both were disappointed to find that no Chris was in sight. However, a team of nurses and doctors were all gathered around the area working on someone. Piper stood on her tiptoes to get a glimpse of the patient, just to make sure it wasn't her son. She saw silver hair and let out a relieved breath. Until she stopped to think about who had attacked Chris. She turned to her husband. "Leo, what if Barbas found a way to delay his power? A way to make it work a little slower, to make the victim have a false sense of comfort? Then, maybe the fear would strike them all at once-more powerful than before?"

"It's possible. Why? What did you see?"

Piper flicked her wrists, freezing the entire area. Grabbing her husband's hands, she pulled him over to the group, pushing the people out of the way. When the body was in view, they both shook with fear. The eldest Charmed One had been right. The old looking man was Chris. It was easy to see their son in the brilliant green eyes that were frozen open in pure fear. Nothing else about him looked the same. His hair was paper white and his skin was aged by fifty years. When Piper saw her baby looking like that, she fell to his side. "Leo, heal him, now!"

"Piper, I don't know if I can. This is a psychological trauma. The healing has to come from within."

The witch glared at her lover, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I will not accept that. Not after everything he has already lost. Not now, not when his life is just about to begin. Our grandson needs him. Now, heal him damn it!"

Leo let out a breath, still unsure, but raised his hands over his son's chest. A golden glow sprung to life, but the Elder knew very well how that might not mean anything. Luckily, this was not one of those times. The young man's hair returned to it's chestnut brown color, his aged body returning to its appropriate age. The outward damage the fear caused had been erased, but as Leo had guessed, the true healing had to come from within. Chris' eyes remained closed.

Piper took her son's head into her lap, her tears falling more quickly. "Chris, please wake up. Come on, you can do it. Chris...damn it Chris, your son and his mother need you! We all need you. You are part of this family, and we are not going to let you go without a fight. We can't do it on our own though. You have to help. So, fight your fear. Fight it with all you have." She lowered her head, her long, silky hair falling around her shoulders as she continued to cry. "Please, I can't lose you too."

000

Chris could do nothing but stare at the image before him. The image of the church, with its pews lined with family and friends. His brother and some woman holding each other, a tiny baby asleep next to them in a carrier. His aunts sobbing, and holding each other's hands. His mother and father in the front. His sweet mother, tears streaming down her face was too busy comforting another to notice the comfort Leo tried to give her. Who was the other though? Chris took a fearful step forward.

The object of his mother's attention stood from the pew and moved to the front of the church. When the person turned around, Chris' breath caught. It was him. Why was he so upset? What was going on? Everyone was in black and crying. Someone had died. Who? Who had died this time?

His image up at the front of the church started speaking. "I just want to thank everyone for being here today. They would have appreciated it. They loved you all so much." The other Chris began to choke on tears. "Anne and Alex..." he broke down, unable to even finish. Leo was up by his side in an instant, his arms wrapped around his son and guiding him back down to the pew.

The observing Chris felt his heart pause. Anne and Alex? No. Nonononononono! He ran to the front of the church where for the first time he noticed the two majestic coffins. Reaching the first, he saw Anne lying peacefully with her arms across her chest, a small smile forced to her pale, dead lips. Chris stumbled backwards shaking his head. This wasn't possible. It just wasn't. How could he lose even more people? How?

He didn't want to look in the other coffin. However, his eyes wandered in that direction anyway. When he saw his son in that box, cold and pale, the witch-whitelighter fell to his knees. The boy was only six or so. Tiny, innocent child. Chris couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All he felt was pain. Pain and fear that it was all true. Or would be true.

"Of course it will be true. Your love is death, Chris."

Chris glanced up at the voice and felt ill at what he saw. Bianca. _His_ Bianca, pale as the moon, dressed as he had last seen her. . .a large hole in her chest in the exact spot the table leg had ripped through. "Bianca..."

"You killed me. Your love killed me. It killed all of them." Bianca gestured to the pews.

The young man glanced back at his family to find that they had all transformed into zombie like creatures, pale and dead, yet moving, speaking. His Aunt Phoebe had a broken back from when a demon named Borzi had thrown her threw a wall. Paige was a statue. His father and brother had darklighter arrows through their chests. His mother. . .oh god. Her body was mangled. . .she had died in a car accident.

"Everyone you love dies, Chris. It's a fact you have lived with since the day you were born."

Chris shook his head. "Not this time. Not Anne. Not Alex."

"Already me, _Dad_." A new voice rang out.

When Chris turned around, he saw the young man who had come back through time with his brother to save his parents. The young man who had died because of him. Who had been so young, so confused and in pain because of him. When he saw his own eyes looking back at him in the face of the son he failed, Chris knew in his heart that it truly was his fate to lose everyone he loved. He had already lost more than anyone could handle. No more. He couldn't lose any more. And he would. He would lose more and more and more. It was his greatest fear.

_Chris, please wake up. Come on, you can do it. Chris...damn it Chris, your son and his mother need you! We all need you. You are part of this family, and we are not going to let you go without a fight. We can't do it on our own though. You have to help. So, fight your fear. Fight it with all you have_.

Chris glanced up at the sound of his mother's voice. It wasn't the zombie saying those things to him. It was his real mother. Real. This wasn't real. It never would be real. Wyatt never died! Wyatt wasn't married, didn't have a kid either. None of this was real! And Chris would be damned if it ever became real. He stood, his tears halted, his strength returned. Facing Bianca he shook his head. "I'm sorry about what happened to you. You know I loved you. You know I would have gladly taken your place. None of that matters now, though. It's over. It's changed. You are going to have a whole new life and so am I." He faced Alex. "I failed you once. I won't do it again. I swear it." He shook his head, finding a great weight had been lifted from him. "This life isn't going to be anything like the old. Mom isn't going to die. Dad isn't going to bail. Wyatt won't be evil. And _no one_ is leaving me before their time. I'm not destined to be alone. Anne tried to show me that, and now, I need to believe her. Time to get the hell out of this delusion."

000

Piper knew her freeze wasn't going to last much longer. She didn't care if the doctors or nurses caught her though. All she cared about was being with her son. "Chris..."

"Just five more minutes, Mom." Chris replied grinning as he slowly opened his jade eyes.

His parents were all over him in seconds. He laughed. "Hey, come on. I still need to breathe."

Piper slapped him hard on the arm. "You are in _so_ much trouble, Mister! Do you have any idea how scared I was? I come here expecting to find that my grandson has been born, but instead Leo comes out and tells me you've gone missing. We end up finding you out here looking older than Victor, and then your father heals you, but you don't wake up. I swear if you ever do something like this to me again I will blow you up to save myself the aggravation of wondering if you're going to survive."

"I love you too, Mom."

Leo glanced around, nervously. "Guys, I think we need to get out of here. These people aren't going to stay frozen forever, and we've pushed our luck enough. Besides, it's Chris and Piper, not son and mother, remember guys?"

Piper rolled her eyes, still unhappy about pretending her son was her half-brother. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go greet the latest Halliwell before it's too late, and the new dad misses the whole thing."

Before the Elder could say a thing, mother and son were off to Anne's room, ready to greet Alex into the world. Leo, however, had a terrible feeling nagging him. A delayed attack wasn't Barbas' style. He liked instant gratification. Was the demon of fear working for someone? If so, who? And why did Chris and Piper's slip up have him so worried?

000

Nyru shook with rage as he watched the scene unfold in the hospital. This was not how things were supposed to pan out. Chris Halliwell was supposed to die, leaving the woman and child unprotected. Instead, the young man lives! Unbelievable.

That's when he heard what Chris and Piper said. Piper was his mother? What? How was that possible? Chris Halliwell was supposed to be Paige Matthew's twin. Unless. . .it was a spell. A spell to convince the world that the young man belonged in the present time. Interesting. Of course a bond between siblings would be powerful, but a bond between parents and a child. . .that could be used to his benefit. This also meant that the child was a direct descendent of the Charmed Ones. Their grandson, not nephew. All the more reason for Christopher Perry Halliwell to be taken out of the picture.

tbc...


	20. Welcome to the World Alex Halliwell

**Welcome to the World Alex Halliwell**

Chris ran toward the Anne's hospital room, hoping beyond hope that he hadn't missed the arrival of his little boy. Skidding to a stop outside the room, the young Halliwell was met with a large, stern looking nurse. She practically threw the scrubs at him and informed him that if he didn't get dressed and into the room in the next ten minutes he would miss everything. For a moment, all Chris could do was blink in shock. Miss everything? No.

Luckily, Leo and Piper came up behind him and quickly guided their shocked son toward the bathroom where he could change. Once in the restroom, Chris threw on the scrubs with a speed he didn't know he possessed, then glanced in the mirror, noticing the hint of fear in his eyes and smiling at himself to calm down. "I'm really going to be a daddy."

Running out of the restroom, past his parents and into the delivery room, Chris came to a halt as he saw Anne, sweat covering her brow and an intense look of pain on her face. Was that normal? Was she supposed to be in that much pain? He mechanically moved to her side, unsure what to do and overwhelmed by it all.

"You okay?" Anne asked between her breaths.

Chris broke out into a soft smile and nodded. Reaching up, he gently brushed the matted hair off her face. "How about you?"

"I'd be better if our son would come out already. I'm so tired, and it hurts more with every minute."

The doctor glanced up at that moment, his soft brown eyes crinkling as a sign of a smile. "Don't worry, Ms. Cramer. It's time. Now, just give me a big push on the count of three. One. . .two. . .and three!"

Anne's face scrunched up as she pushed, the pain it caused clear as her eyes started to water. That and the fact Chris' hand felt like she was breaking every bone in it. Chris figured it was only fair that she get to break his hand, though. It was kind of his fault she was in this pain to begin with. Instead of focusing on his poor broken hand, the witch-whitelighter just spoke softly to her, encouraging her through this. "That's it, Anne, you can do this. You're almost there."

"Oh, shut up you bloody wanker! This is your fault! You should have to do this! Then we'll see how calm you would be!" She cried out in pain then pulled Chris down to her. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it honestly. It just hurts so b-baadly, Ow!"

"We have a head."

Chris glanced over to the doctor, trying hard to ignore where the guy had his hands at the moment. He switched his focus to the mother of his child. "Hear that, he has a head!"

"Oh, bloody wonderful!" Anne snapped.

"One more push should do it, Ms. Cramer."

Chris smiled widely. "Come on, Anne. One more. Just one more and it will all be over."

He didn't miss the glare he received as a response.

With her face contorted in pain and fatigue, the young woman gave it all she had, and when the baby cried out, announcing his arrival, her head fell back to the pillow, and she allowed herself tears of joy and a large smile. Chris had a smile equally large as he kissed Anne on the forehead and whispered. "You did it."

After the cord had been cut and the baby cleaned up, the large nurse from earlier came over to Chris with little Alex wrapped in a light yellow blanket, a matching hat on his head. She held out the baby to the new father, who took him into his arms as carefully as if he had been made of glass. Chris glanced down at the tiny baby and felt the tears starting to form in his eyes. He had never felt anything quite like this new emotion. It was so powerful that he couldn't ignore it. He wouldn't want to. It was a new form of love. A stronger one. This was his son. _His son. _It was a true miracle. Nature's own brand of magic.

Reluctantly, Chris turned to hand the baby off to his waiting mother. She took the child into her arms and cradled him gently to her bosom. "Hello, Alexander. I'm your mum."

"And I'm your dad."

Anne shook her head, amazed by it all. "I cannot believe he was actually inside me all this time. I mean, I know he was, but. . .it's so surreal." She raised her soft blue eyes up to her partner. "Isn't he the most precious thing you've ever seen?"

"Definitely." Chris brushed his thumb lovingly over the child's cheek. He would swear for years to come that in that moment, Alex Halliwell had smiled up at him.

000

Pheobe Halliwell never changes. This is why when she glanced down at her great nephew for the first time, she started cooing in baby voices at him, even though the child was in another room, behind the glass barrier, and could not possibly hear her. For which, Chris was envious. "Oooh, look at you. You are just the cutest little baby in the whole world. Yes you are. I could just eat you up. Oooh, yes I could. Num, num, num!"

"Pheobe, that's creepy. Stop it."

Paige nodded in agreement. "I will agree with Chris on that one. Remember that parasite demon? He actually wanted to eat Wyatt. So, the whole eating the baby thing? Still not so cute anymore."

"Okay, okay. But I'm just so excited. Little baby Alex is just so cute!"

Piper smiled fondly at her son, both the baby version she had on her hip and the adult version standing before her. Her soft brown eyes were conveying a new depth of meaning to the adult version. She looked at him the way he now looked at Alex. With a love that was beyond comprehension, beyond description, beyond every other feeling ever held by a human heart. "He looks just like his daddy did at that age."

Leo, who was holding Wyatt, wrapped his free arm around his wife as she started to get teary. His focus, however, was on the new father. "Congratulations, Chris. You're going to be a great father."

"Well, I have a really good example to look to."

When his son said those words to him, Leo felt the sting of tears himself. So, their issues were really over? Chris had forgiven him once and for all. He had been given a second chance. One that he would not take for granted. "That means a lot to me."

"Kwis!" Wyatt shouted. Bored with his father, he orbed into his older, younger brother's arms and started babbling incoherently to the young man.

"Awww, now that's cute." Paige replied smiling at the brotherly moment.

Everyone laughed and nodded, and for the moment, the Halliwell family seemed just as normal as any other family in the midst of a great joy. They laughed, they cried, and most of all they loved. Today, they had greeted the next generation of Halliwell magic. A great nephew, a nephew, a son and a grandson. Nothing could touch them in this moment. Their family was invincible as they stood all together in that hospital watching tiny Alex slumber. If only that invincibility could last. . .

tbc. . .

hmm...think i lost some people. :( Sad. Oh well, those of you still reading/reviewing THANK YOU! Hope you liked this part!


	21. The Wiccaning?

**Chapter 21**

**The Wiccaning?**

Chris glanced down at the slumbering baby in his arms and smiled contentedly. His son was growing up so fast. He could hardly believe that it had only been two months ago to the day that his son had been brought into the world. His and Anne's worlds had changed so much since then. All for the better. Well. . .except for the amount of sleep they each got. . .and their sex life. . .but other than that all for the better.

As his partner came out of the bedroom in her fluffy white robe, her black hair tangled and sticking up in odd places, the witch-whitelighter couldn't help but chuckle. It had been her night to get up with Alex being as he had to be out late closing up the club. Apparently it had taken its toll on her. Which was part of the reason Chris had gotten up this morning when Alex started fussing. Mommy needed to sleep in after her rough night.

Grabbing a mug down from the kitchen cupboard, Anne filled it with steaming black coffee before sitting down across from her lover at the table. Taking a sip, she smiled as the hot liquid went down her throat. "I have no idea what I would do if it weren't for this lovely invention. Coffee simply must be the most beautiful idea ever to grace man's mind."

"Was he up a lot then?"

Anne smiled at her son. "Oh, our little darling was no trouble. Just a little wet at midnight. Hungry at 3. Once I fixed his ailments he was the perfect little angel. I'd say he's sleeping rather well for only being two months old. Some have it much worse than we do. Babies waking up every hour on the hour and all."

Shifting his son to the other side with a skill that he never thought he'd acquire, Chris reached for his own coffee mug. He took a big swallow. "So, I was thinking we should discuss the wicanning. It should be performed here pretty soon, you know."

Suddenly, their happy, cozy little family went up with a squeal from their son and an utterly shocked and slightly horrified look from the mommy.

Chris sighed, stood from the table, bouncing lightly while reaching for a bottle. He knew the shrill squeal meant hunger. So, holding the baby tucked in with one arm, he used his free hand to warm up the bottle on the stove. In between hushing his upset son, Chris tried to figure out why his girlfriend was giving him the angry eye. "What? What'd I say?"

"Wiccaning?" Anne shook her head. "What makes you think we should raise our child as a wiccan? I'm Christian. I've been raised that way and had always planned for my children to be raised that way. You never once said anything about the wiccan religion."

"Test this."

He handed her the bottle and she put a little milk on her wrist. It was only slightly warm. She handed it back to him with a little nod. He put the bottle into his son's wailing mouth. Alex stopped crying and sucked away merrily.

Sitting back down at the table, Chris sighed. "Everyone in my family has had a wiccaning. The ancestors bless the child in goodness and light, protecting them from the forces of evil. I just assumed that would be okay. Who wouldn't want their kid blessed in goodness and light?"

"You assumed wrong." Anne stood up and tossed her now empty coffee cup into the sink with a clang.

Alex jumped in his father's arms at the sound.

"You scared him. Be mad at me all you want, but don't be loud about it." Chris warned in a low, steady tone. He smiled down at his son as if to say that everything was fine.

"Chris, you just do not seem to understand. I want him baptized. I want to teach him my faith. You knew I was religious. We even had a discussion about how I was a little afraid to go into church considering I was carrying a part witch and the scripture mentions stoning witches. Then you told me that story about your mum having the same reservations."

Chris watched her pace back and forth and wondered how it was that woman could get worked up so fast. He hadn't said anything about pure wiccan religion. All he had said was he wanted a wiccaning. "That's my point. My mom and her sisters were raised to be Christians, but they still understand and respect and sometimes practice the wiccan religion. Such as the wiccaning. We can do both."

"Both?"

"Why not? People have different religions all the time. They teach the child both and when the kid is old enough, he or she makes up her mind for herself what their belief is. We could and should do the same for Alex."

She looked skeptical but not angry anymore. "So. . .we do a baptism and a wiccaning?"

"Sure." Chris glanced down at the baby, whose eyes were drifting closed again. "We'll leave the door open for whatever path he wants to choose."

Anne moved back over to the table and smiled. "You always know what is the right thing to do. I love you so much for that." She glanced down at Alex. "And I love you as well my little angel." Then, she returned her attention to the father. Cupping his face in one hand, she bent over to give him a kiss. Pulling away, her bright blue eyes danced. "Both it is."

000

"And the creepers?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Check."

His mother glanced down at the list in her hand and nodded. Taking one last look through to make sure she hadn't missed anything, Piper Halliwell crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage. She smiled at her son. "Well, then I guess that covers all the demons that could possibly come after the matriarchs. Only one thing left to do."

Looking thoroughly exhausted and slightly disappointed at the thought of more work to be done Chris tried hard not to let his frustration show on his face or in his voice. He failed. "We vanquished all the demons, Pheobe chose the perfect outfit for Alex, which in the future he'll probably kill me for ever going along with, we have candles ready, so I guess I don't see what's left to be done."

"Summon Grams."

"Oh." Chris looked sheepish as he ran his hand through his hair. "That."

Piper noticed the slightly nervous appearance he suddenly developed and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, Mister. Spill. I know that look. What's wrong?"

Her adult son grinned, still fidgeting. "Grams is kind of. . .intimidating. Not to mention the last time I saw her was during that whole slime monster thing, and she really wasn't too fond of me."

"But you weren't here for your wiccaning." Piper waved her hands dismissing what she had said. "Well, you were here. . .just not_ you_."

"I get it."

His mother smiled fondly at the memory of her baby boy's wiccaning. It had been peaceful and so full of light. Not a single demon had attacked, and her whole family had been there for the event. Well. . .except for Prue. What she would have done if her sister could have been there to meet her nephews. . .well, no point in thinking like that. She had seen her mother and grams and all the matriarchs bless her son without a single hitch and that was all she could've hoped for. Now, she wished the same good luck for her grandson's wiccaning.

"You know, Grams finally figured out that you and baby Chris were the same person. Once she knew all that you had done and sacrificed for this family she just held baby Chris close and showered him with love. She even got Wyatt to stop orbing you all over kingdom come." Piper frowned. "By the way, why didn't you warn me about that?"

"Future consequences." Chris replied without missing a beat, giving his mother a wicked grin.

She playfully slapped him on the arm. "Ha ha ha. Very funny."

"Seriously? I guess I just didn't think it was that big of a deal. Wyatt stopped picking on me pretty early on."

"Thank God. I want you two to get along."

Chris turned his eyes away from her at that point. He didn't want to think about what his mind was leading him to think about. The fact that he would never have the chance to get along with his brother. He would never get a chance to bond with the new improved version of Wyatt because they weren't brothers in this time. Wyatt was his nephew now. He had given up the right to grow up with his big brother when he had gotten Anne pregnant.

"Chris?" Piper put a hand on his shoulder, her chocolate brown eyes searching his jade for a hint as to what she had said to put him in such a somber mood. When he didn't respond, she planned to probe him a little, but was interrupted by her youngest sister's arrival into the attic.

Paige noticed the remainder of what seemed to be a tender moment and paused in the doorway. "Bad time?"

"Not at all." Chris replied, moving away from his mother. "What's up?"

"Well, it's just that I was kinda hoping we could get this show on the road. I've got a date later."

Chris folded his arms over his chest and gave his aunt his patented annoyed look. "You want to rush my son's wiccaning so you can go on a date?"

"Well, sort of." She shrugged. "Yeah. Considering I had to reschedule with Dale when you had Alex's baptism two weeks ago. Which, might I add, makes the wiccaning seem a little bit redundant."

"Paige." Piper warned.

The youngest Charmed One threw up her hands defensively. "I'm just sayin'."

"Yeah, well, don't."

Chris shot his mother a grateful look. He knew his aunts were a little upset over the whole dueling beliefs, but at least his mother understood. After all, she had always been the one to want a normal life, and she had been a Christian woman, who had made sure that when he and Wyatt were growing up they went to a church too. Technically, Chris was just as much a Christian as a wiccan. There was nothing wrong with his son learning more than one belief too.

It was at that moment that Pheobe came in holding Alex. His poor son was wearing blue pants over a bright red one-piece that featured tiny bunnies. Bunnies of all things. Yup, if his son ever saw pictures of himself in that outfit when he was older, Chris was a dead man. As it was his Aunt was still cooing over him and the hideous outfit.

"Oooh, yes. You are soooo handsome. Little Alex Halliwell is just so adorable. I could smush your little face you are so cute."

"Pheobe. Stop. You're going to scar him for life." Chris said, shaking his head and chuckling.

Piper grinned. "Yeah, you're probably the reason Chris is so neurotic."

"Hey. Aren't you supposed to always stick up for me and defend me and love me unconditionally?"

His mother gave him her sweetest smile. "Yes, and I do all those things. But face it, Chris, you are neurotic." When he pouted she put a hand to his face. "But completely lovable for it."

Paige rolled her eyes. "I think I feel a toothache coming on."

Leo and Anne appeared at the doorway to the attic, the Elder holding Wyatt, while Anne cradled baby Chris. When Anne reached her lover's side, she noticed the baby reaching out for his mother, so she reluctantly handed him over to Piper. As soon as Piper had the baby in her hands a demon shimmered in behind her and before anyone could move had shimmered back out again, with the Eldest Charmed One and baby Chris in tow.

"Piper!" Pheobe and Paige cried out simultaneously.

Leo stared in horror at the spot his wife and son had been standing in only moments prior. Thoughts horrible in nature were creeping into his mind about what could be happening to them. He only snapped out of his dread induced stupor when Wyatt tugged on his shirt asking about where his mom had gone. Leo glanced down and shook his head dazed. "I don't know buddy, but we'll find her. I promise."

"I'll start scrying." Paige announced, heading over to the table.

Pheobe moved over to the Book of Shadows. "We could try a summoning spell too. One of them is bound to work."

"No need ladies."

The Halliwells and Anne turned to the sound of the voice. It belonged to a demon shrouded by shadows. His face was concealed by a dark black hood. When he spoke it was as if the sound was coming out of the darkness itself. He moved forward toward Chris. "You. You are the time traveler. The one who disguises himself as the brother of the Charmed Ones. . .but you are really just the small child. . .Christopher. The one whom I have in my possession. Along with your precious mother."

"You want something. Just say what it is." Chris replied, speaking with a firmness and strength he didn't feel. On the inside, he felt like the fourteen year old who had lost his mother. Who's greatest fear had come to life and as a twenty-three year old man may come to life again.

The demon gestured toward Pheobe. "The fire-starter."

Anne rushed forward, ready to strangle the demon with her bare hands for even suggesting that they give up their child to him. She was halted in her fury by the father of her son. He held her tightly, locking eyes with her. The woman ripped out of his grasp, but made no more attempts to charge the demon. She knew that without magical powers, she would merely become another pawn in the demon's game. She didn't have to like sitting on the sidelines though.

"Choose wisely, young Christopher. Either you and your mother. . . or your son. If you choose to save your son, you'd be killing yourself, possibly leaving him without a father. Not to mention that your brother would be without his mother. I wonder if the Twice Blessed Witch could handle being raised without his mommy? Or if perhaps the rumors are true and he is destined to become evil. If so, losing his mother might be the trigger. So much to lose if you don't hand over the child. So very much."

Paige stepped forward, her eyes shooting daggers. "Listen, you, you've just made the biggest mistake of your life. You messed with the Charmed Ones, and when we find our sister-which we will-you're going to pay dearly for this."

"Yeah, so save yourself a lot of pain and bring her back now." Pheobe added.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with." The demon glanced over at Chris. "Perhaps you, Time Traveler, can inform them of exactly who the great Nyru is? You seem well educated in higher level demons."

At the mention of the name, Chris visibly paled. His jade eyes went wide with a mixture of shock and fear and all he could do was shake his head in denial of what his ears had just heard. He refused to believe that this demon was the same one that had all those years ago...or would in the future be responsible for so much pain. His pain. Wyatt's pain. Leo's. His entire family's bane. The demon who had found the weakness in the Halliwell family and exploited it. The demon Chris and Wyatt had spent an entire year trying to hunt down and vanquish, only to have failed. The demon who had murdered Piper Halliwell, sending the Halliwell family spiraling downward into an inescapable void.

"No. . ." Chris breathed. "It can't be."

Nyru lowered his hood, and revealed the face of the demon that had haunted Chris' dreams since he was fourteen. "I see you have heard of me."

"Chris?" Pheobe asked, searching his face and finding a vulnerability she had never seen before in her neurotic nephew. "Who is he?"

Chris ignored her, instead focused on the one demon not even Wyatt had managed to track down and make suffer. "What do you want with my son?"

"He's a fire-starter. That's a rare find. Not to mention the only fire-starter with whitelighter blood. He would make an exceedingly useful ally. With a Halliwell child as my apprentice I could easily win the bid for Source. Not to mention the usefulness his sensing ability would be for hunting good witches. However, if you really don't want to part with him, I'd be content to destroy the power of three forever."

"You don't have the power to do that." Paige argued.

Nyru grinned. "I don't need power. I have found the weakness in your family." He looked over to Chris. "You. You are the weak link. Of all the Halliwells to ever have walked the earth, you are the weakest. Knowing this and knowing how Piper Halliwell would die for her children it was quite simple. I offer her a choice. Her or the baby. You all know what decision she will make."

"Now, I'm going to be fair about this and give you one hour to make up your mind. You better be prepared to lose either your son or your mother, Christopher. I won't put up with any tricks. If you know my reputation as you seem to, then you know I'll be prepared. Remember, one hour."

When the demon had shimmered out of the attic, Pheobe ran to the book to check for possible vanquishes, while Paige started to scry. Leo turned to his adult son, a gentle look in his eyes as he saw the terror in his son's face. "Chris?"

"He killed her. In my time line, Nyru was the one to kill mom." Chris didn't even notice Anne's hand take his and squeeze in comfort. He was far too gone to be aware of his surroundings. "It was my fault. I was too weak. He targeted me, and I couldn't orb out. He had put an anti-orb spell around the house. My telekinesis wasn't enough to stop him. He just kept attacking. Just as he was about to kill me, mom stepped in. She took the hit for me. Mom died in my arms." Chris turned to his father. "I was fourteen. This isn't how it's supposed to be."

Anne frowned, thinking back to a conversation a year ago in a bar when she and Chris had first met. "Wait a moment. It is quantum theory. Everything changes with each small move that a person makes while in the past. It is a ripple effect. By your staying here in the past, ripples are constantly being sent forward, changing how things were. Alex changes things as well. He wasn't born in your original time line. Now that he is here, Nyru's focus has changed. One of the many changes being made by your and Alex's presence in the past."

"What have I done?"

Leo moved to put a hand on his son's shoulder in reassurance, but Chris pulled away. The father would not give up so easily though. "Chris, this isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that any of this was going to happen. Besides, we will get Piper back. We've been in situations like this a thousand times before."

"Not against Nyru. Wyatt couldn't even find him. If he has mom hidden. . ."Chris shook his head, looking for all intents and purposes the epitome of hopeless. "She's going to die, and it'll be my fault. Again."

000

Nyru watched as Piper Halliwell struggled against her restraints while trying to sooth the screaming child in the demon's arms. Everything was going soo well. The father would hand over his son to him or the mother died. When the mother died, the son would blame himself for letting her die. He'd fall apart, and little Alex would lose his father making the child easy prey. Either way, Nyru won.

tbc. . .

Thanks sooooooooooooooooooooo much for the reviews! I'm sorry this took so long to get up, but my life is really busy right now. I hope that you can all forgive the slowness, and let me know what ya think cuz it helps me tons!


	22. Pain vs Redemption

Because I got so many wonderful reviews I tried to make this chapter really good. I gave 110. You got it. An extra 10 good just for you guys. ;) It's also a bit longer. Soooo, THANK YOU GUYS!

leigh1986-if you like Anne and Chris together then you're going to love this chapter  
wonderwhatsnext- Thanks, hope you like this part too :)  
misscharmed-Here's your update, hopefully I didn't make you wait too long.  
mell11-Thanks for the nice compliment. Unfortunately this part is sad too. kinda. But I promise the next part will be happy.  
nikki14u- Glad you like it-thanks!  
Stranded Stargazer-Chris. Always feel the worst for Chris. Mostly cuz I enjoy torturing him and he needs someone tosympathize with him.Maybe give him a nice bighug. :)  
Pheobe Turner- He'll be okay...I think...hehe  
ilovedrew88- Glad you liked theduelbeliefs because I wasn't sure whether to have that be an issue or not. Yeah, this situation is kinda sucky. But it'll get resolved here.Sorta.  
icantthinkofanick-wow...time travelreallyis confusing.Let's see...umChris andbaby Chris' souls are not split or merged...They arethesame soul, which is why when teenage Chris died he remembered both lifes...uh, when the time comes for him to go into the past...well, there's a paradox there that the show didn't cover, but I may come up with an answer for by the end of this fic. Sorry if I confused you...did that help at all?  
piperleo4eva- Yeah, I'm kinda evil...shrugs oh well. We all gotta have somethingwe're good at. Evil is my thing. heheThanks again!  
barbas-I'm glad that I can keep people interested. Sometimes I don't think I can, you know? So, yea! Thanks for the review. You are awesome as always. :)

CHAPTER 22

**Pain vs Redemption**

Breathe. Just keep breathing. In and out. In and out. Don't panic. Panic leads to failure. Failure leads to death. Failure is not an option, therefore panic is not an option. Just keep breathing. Keep breathing and keep thinking. Think of a plan. _Any_ plan. Something to fix this mess. Something to get her back. Something to save her this time.

Blood trickling like a tiny river out from the kitchen. A body supine on the floor, one arm stretched out, reaching. . .reaching for him. Chocolate brown eyes looking up to himas though they arewindows to the soul whose life is flickering like light from a shorting bulb. A scream. Piercing the air with just one single word. His name. Her last breath had been used to call out to him.

Breathe! Do not panic! Do not go back there. The pain will destroy you. Swallow you into the very depths of darkness. The event can be stopped now. It can be prevented. No need for the fear. No need. It will not happen again. It can't happen. It can't...please, God, not again.

"Chris?"

The witch-whitelighter turned to look at the mother of his child, who was cradling the boy protectively in her arms. Ignoring her for the moment, Chris glanced down at the wide-eyed baby. So innocent. So helpless. He had failed Alex once as well. Let him die. It seemed he always let down those he loved, and they always died. However, as he looked into the big dark eyes of his son, he felt no fear. For the first time in a long time, he had sheer confidence. He would not fail. Chris' certainty in this sprung from the fact that he simply could not fail. Not this time. Not when someone so innocent, so pure was depending on him.

"I'm fine."

Anne snorted. "If you mean freaked-out, insecure, neurotic and emotional, then yes, I suppose you are."

"_The Italian Job_ is such a great movie." Paige replied as she tossed bloodroot into the potion to finish it off in a satisfying poof of smoke.

Chris glanced over to his other aunt, who was bent over the Book of Shadows flipping the pages as quickly as she could while still checking out the passages. "Did you find the demon that's working for him yet? The one who shimmered out with mom. I know he was in and out of here pretty fast, but you remember his face, right?"

"Yeah, but haven't found him ye-ooh! Found him!" She pointed at the page she had stopped on as her nephew came to stand by her side, reading over her shoulder like he had done as a child. She slapped the page triumphantly. "Gwuri. Your A-typical hench-demon. Easy vanquish.

"And there's a summoning spell." Chris added, more to himself than for the benefit of the others.

Anne began to pace the room, gently rocking the baby as he started to fuss. She whispered to him soothingly as she cast a worried glance at the clock. They only had forty minutes left. She gripped the small baby tighter to her chest. "Chris, do we really have time to be fooling with a hench-demon? Shouldn't we be focusing on his boss? He'd be the one with Piper, correct?"

"Yeah, but we'll never find him without some sort of lead. Gwuri is our one shot at finding out where Nyru's been hanging around lately. Where they've been meeting to plan this thing. . .anything that might be useful."

Anne nodded. "I'm going to go lay Alex down. He can feel my nerves, and it's not good for him. Is there some way to protect him?"

Chris winced at the words. She had said them innocently enough, wondering if she should put him somewhere in particular or do something to make sure a demon didn't grab him while they were distracted. Still, the words had carried such a deeper meaning to Chris. Was there a way to protect him? His confidence in the success of the rescue dissipated. "Lay him in the crib next to Wy. He'll protect the baby with his shield if a demon shows up."

The woman gave him a small, sad smile. Being powerless to stop the evil after their son was hard for her. Harder than anything else she had ever had to deal with, but right now, she felt worse for her boyfriend. He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Turning around and walking out of the room, Anne felt Chris' eyes on her and the baby until they were out of sight. Poor man. She could feel his love for them-the intensity gave her goose bumps, but at the moment that love was causing him such pain. She wished she could heal it for him somehow, but the best way she knew to help was to stay out of it. Let him and his family do what must be done. She hated it, but knew it was what Chris wanted. So, she took the baby to the nursery and sat down with the boys and Leo, praying that her family and Chris' would all end up okay in the end.

Meanwhile, back in the attic, the sisters and Chris summoned Gwuri, trapping him in the crystal cage. Paige was currently torturing him for information.

"Where the hell did you take our sister?"

"I'll never tell you, Witch!"

Paige threw some magical powder into the cage at him, which ended up charging the crystal cage and zapping the demon with an immense amount of magical electricity. "Wrong answer."

Chris watched for a while longer, waiting for the demon to break under his Aunt Paige's torture, but it was taking too long. They had to get to Piper and his baby self before the hour was up, otherwise. . .he couldn't even think about the kind of choice he would be forced to make. Taking things into his own hands, Chris stepped forward, grabbing an athame from the leftover demonic weapons trunk. Kicking aside one of the crystals, he jammed the blade into the demon's shoulder then stepped back to put some distance between himself and the demon.

"You bastard!" The demon cried, and now free of the cage, charged up a fireball, tossing it at Chris. The witch-whitelighter raised a finger, causing it to reverse directions, plummeting into the demon's stomach. However, just as the sisters thought the demon was going to explode as per usual, Chris flicked his hand freezing the flame consumed demon.

Pheobe gasped and pointed at the demon. "You froze him! You don't freeze. You have telekinesis." She slapped him on the arm. "You lied to us again."

He rolled his eyes. "I never said telekinesis was my only power."

"Not fair. How come Piper's kids have all the cool powers?" Paige whined. She folded her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "What other powers do you have?"

Chris gave both his aunts withering looks. "Ladies, now is really _not_the time for this." He turned back to the demon, only unfreezing the head. "I asked you a question. Where is Piper Halliwell?"

"What have you done to me you filthy half-breed?"

The young man narrowed his eyes before flicking his wrists and allowing the flames to further destroy the demon.Gwuri cried out in agonybefore the male witch flicked his hands again re-freezingthe demon'sbody. Chris folded his arms over his chest. "First of all, don't ever call me half-breed. Secondly, unless you want me to let the flames of Hell finish consuming you, I suggest you tell me where Piper and the baby are and fast."

"Nyru has them. In a cavern in the underworld."

"Which can be found where?"

Gwuri swallowed. "He'll kill me if I tell."

"Newsflash– I'll kill you if you don't tell."

"It's the lair of the demoness Cyra. She's away and letting him stay there for now. If you don't know where that is, it ain't no fault of mine. Lemme go."

Chris shrugged. "Okay. Thanks." He then unfroze the demon, allowing the flames to completely ravage what was left of him. When his aunts gavethe young mana disapproving look he sighed. "What? It's not as though he was an innocent. In fact, if it weren't for him, Piper and the baby would still be here."

"What about the lair?" Pheobe asked, changing the subject. "We don't know where it is. He could have told us."

"I know where it is." Chris replied curtly as he moved to the potion cabinet and began to put various potions in three small cloth bags.

Paige noticed a strange bitterness in his voice. "Bad memories?"

"She kidnapped me once. I was stuck there for a week before you guys found me."

His aunt made a face. "Sorry."

Chris handed one of the bags to Pheobe and the other to Paige. "Let's go."

"Wait a minute." Pheobe spoke up. "First of all I think you should fill us in on Nyru. We don't want to be taken by surprise again. Does he usually work with other demons like Gwuri? What powers does he have? What should we expect?"

The young man took a deep breath, weighing the possible answers he could give his aunts. He wanted them to be prepared, but he wasn't sure if he had the time to really get them to understand the kind of danger they were going to be facing. Nyru was the most unstoppable demon the Halliwell family had ever encountered, not because of his powers, but because of his cunning and ability to cloak his whereabouts. They were lucky that he was sloppy in his choice of assistants. Gwuri was easy to find and get information out of, but if Nyru was expecting them, which Chris was sure he was, then there really was no way to prepare for the kind of battle they were facing. Come to think of it. . .why had Nyru let another demon do his dirty work? Unless. . . "Oh crap. It's a trap."

Paige frowned. "How do you figure? We have the drop on him."

"No, we don't. He wouldn't have had another demon take Piper and the baby unless he wanted us to have a lead. . .a way to find him, so that he could have things go his way. Maybe even take out you and Pheobe. It's too sloppy for him. He's got to be setting a trap."

For a moment no one said a word, fear holding their tongues. Each was trying to think of a way around the mess they were in, but none were coming up with anything that wouldn't end with someone getting killed. After about two and a half minutes of absolute dread filled silence, Pheobe finally grinned. "Simple. It's so simple. All we have to do is spring the trap."

"Are you insane?" Chris nearly cried. "He killed mom. _Killed her_. And you want to play turkey with him? No way. Not happening. We go after him without a _valid_ plan, and someone I love dies. Possibly multiple some ones, and I can't deal with that. I won't lose you guys again."

Paige glanced at her sister, seeing the confidence and drawing faith from it. Turning to her nephew she gave him a soft smile. "Aww, Chris, I didn't know you cared."

"This isn't a joke, Paige." Chris looked between the two women and saw the determination in their eyes. He wasn't getting through to them. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Chris' voice began to shake. "He's not someone to take lightly. Not someone to take chances with. Wyatt and I tried for a year straight to find and vanquish him and we couldn't. Please, don't rush into battle thinking he's just an ordinary demon because he's not."

Pheobe finally took pity on the young man and put a hand on his shoulder. "Chris, stop worrying. I do have a valid plan. It's going to be okay. We're going to get Piper back and stop Nyru from getting Alex. Just have a little faith in us. In yourself."

Chris looked into her large soft brown eyes and saw her faith, saw her strength. She was sure of her plan all right. Confidence had been the Charmed Ones' downfall in his time. Would it be the same in this time? He shook his head, remembering what Anne had said about everything changing because of his and Alex's presence in the past. Maybe the fate of the Charmed Ones had changed. Maybe they would be more careful. The life of those he loved were hanging in the balance. He had no choice but to regain the confidence he had long ago lost in the power of his family. . .the power within himself.

"Okay, so what is this plan exactly?"

000

Piper, chained to a wall, watched as Nyru held her son. If her hands had been free he would have been vanquished for even touching baby Chris. As it was she was trapped, and unable to do a thing as the demon frightened her little boy, whose cries were echoing in the cavern.

Three lower level demons shimmered in. They each made a curt bow to Nyru. None of them even seemed to notice Piper's presence. They were focused on their master and the child in his arms. _Her_ child. If they hurt Chris she would find a way to make them all die a thousand times, each time more painful than the last. However, hurting Chris didn't seem to be on their agenda.

"They are on their way M'lord." One of the demons announced.

Nyru grinned. "Excellent. That leaves the Elder, Twice Blessed, the mortal and the fire-starter all alone. Perfect." He handed baby Chris over to the demon who had spoken. "When they arrive, threaten the child's life. It should keep them from vanquishing you."

"Should?"

The leader shrugged. "No plan is perfect." He then turned to another of the demons. "Oh, and stay near the Eldest Charmed One, keep an athame on you. As soon as they show up, slit her throat." With that he shimmered away.

Holding baby Chris out from him as though he were a ticking time bomb, the first demon muttered under his breath. "Not only do I get the hostage most likely to be saved, therefore signaling my one way ticket to hell, but he smells funny."

"My son does _not_ smell funny." Piper snapped shrilly. "Unless you mean clean, which is obviously something you aren't used to."

Demon number two came up to her holding the athame to her throat. "I'm going to enjoy cutting open that pretty neck of yours."

"Enjoy the thought while you can. My sisters are going to vanquish so fast you won't realize you're being eaten alive by the flames until you're already in hell."

Things suddenly seemed to occur in slow motion. Inone moment, dark blue and white light filtered in from above forming into Pheobe and Paige. They took in the sight of the demon holding Chris, their sister chained to a wall, and then before either of them could make a single move to stop him, the demon with Piper did as he had been instructedand took thegleaming athame to fleshcutting deep into her throat.TheEldestof the CharmedOne'shead immediately fell limp as the blood poured from the fatal wound.

Pheobe and Paige gasped, "Piper!" Tears were already flowing down their faces as they took in the sight of their sister's soul stepping out of it's body. Neither of them could move, shock and grief keeping them paralyzed.

The only demon without a hostage chuckled. "My my my. Looks like you failed. Your sister is dead. The power of three broken forever."

Just as all hope seemed to be lost, the voice of reason spoke up. "What are you waiting for? Vanquish them and save Chris for God's sake!" Piper's spirit yelled.

Pheobe and Paige snapped out of theirpain as they heard Piper's command. Her resiliance even in death was contagious. Time for the sisters returned to normal. Paige called for baby Chris while Pheobe threw a vanquishing potion at the demon who had been holding him. The two remaining demons looked stunned. They hadn't expected the sisters to recover from their loss.As soon as they realized their lives were on the line now,the two remaining demonsfired up energy balls, hurling them at the two sisters. Paige orbed out and Pheobe dove to the floor. More demons appeared in an instant.

"Oh, great. More demons." Paige replied as she orbed back in, the baby still in her arms. "And I have my hands full."

Throwing more vanquishing potions, Pheobe managed to take out three more before having totake the defensive asone energy ball whippedmillimeters from her left arm, anotherright near her head and a thirdbarely missingher right side. With so many energy ballssoaring around her, Pheobe could do little to attack. Meanwhile, Paige was trying to hold onto her nephew and deflect energy balls with her unique form of telekinesis. Some got through, and she was forced to orb out for a moment or two in an attempt to dodge. Needless to say, they were losing...badly.

"LEO!" Piper cried out. "Get your ass down here! I'm dead again!" Her soul started rising to the ceiling. She panicked. "LEO!"

In less than a second, orbs appeared forming into the Elder. He ducked to avoid an energy ball that ended up whizzing close enough to his head that it singed his hair, then took in the scene to find that his wife's soul was half-way through the ceiling of the cavern. Running to her body, he raised his hands, summoning his love for her to create the healing touch. A golden glow sprung to his hands and Piper's soul started to slowly descend back into her body as the fatal wound disappeared. The demons should have known they were in for it in that moment. Piper Halliwell was more than angry. She had been dying. Again! Plus, these demons had threatened her family. Now, they were going to suffer the fury of her power.

Flicking one hand after the other, Piper kept blowing up demon after demon, while Leo raised his hands to fry several more at a time with his Elder magic. Pheobe kept throwing potions from the bag Chris had packed for her, and Paige deflected energy balls back at the demons. Even with the steady vanquishes, the lower level demons just kept coming. . .that is until a bright white light enveloped the room and every demon in it went up in a fiery death. No more shimmered in to replace them.

Piper turned to her husband. "What the _hell_ was that?"

"I don't know." He glanced over at his sister-in-laws. "You two?"

Pheobe shook her head. "Not me."

Paige glanced down at the baby who was smiling up at her. She frowned. "Uh, guys. . .I think it was Chris."

"What? But he only has telekinesis," Piper replied shaking her head.

"And freezing, and possibly more, but he wouldn't tell us." Paige said, her tone revealing some of her bitterness at being out done in the power department by a child that wasn't even quite two.

Leo grinned. "Well, this Chris would have more power. I was an Elder when he was conceived. Maybe that's where that power came from?"

"Speaking of Chris, where's big Chris?"

Pheobe and Paige exchanged looks. Pheobe looked sheepishly at her older sister. "At the manor waiting for Nyru."

"What?" Piper looked infuriated. "You left him alone to fight Nyru?" Grabbing her husband's hand she gestured for Pheobe to do likewise. "People. Orb. Now!"

Paige rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he's perfectly fi-"

"Paige." Piper growled.

_LEO!_

The Elder winced as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. It hurt so badly that he slipped to his knees. His eyes were watering as the pain increased. He heard the voice call for him again. Who was that? At first he couldn't recognize the voice. Then he heard the rest of the message. It was Anne. She was calling for him. Chris was dying. Leo looked to Piper, who was kneeling with him, asking him what was wrong. "We have. . .to go." He winced as another sharp pain hit him. Chris' pain. "Chris...he's..." The Elder nearly passed out as the pain took a stronger grip on his chest.

Paige handed baby Chris to Pheobe and moved to take Leo and Piper's hands. Pheobe used her free hand to grab her younger sisters'. Then, the witch-whitelighter orbed everyone back to the manor. Hopefully in time to save their son and nephew from Death.

000

Anne sighed as Leo orbed away, leaving her alone with Wyatt and Alex. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. When the Elder had left her, he had looked panicked. That couldn't be a good sign of what was going on down in the underworld. What if Piper were hurt. . .or worse. . .Chris. That thought made her heart pound hard and fast, the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She couldn't lose him. Not after all they had been through. . .all that she hoped they would do in the future.

Lost in her thoughts, the woman was jerked back to reality as Wyatt's shield came up around himself and Alex. That meant only one thing...a demon was in the room.

Spinning around, Anne was face to face with Nyru. She tried to back away, but it was useless. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and threw her into the dresser. She cried out in pain as her body hit the corner of dresser then slid to the floor. For a moment she was too stunned to move, then she saw the demon move closer to the children. Rage filled her at the thought of what that monster would do to her son.

The mother got to her feet and grabbed the lamp setting on the top of the dresser and crashed it into Nyru's head. The demon didn't even falter in his steps. He raised his hand and threw a fireball at her. As she watched the flaming ball of death descend upon her, Anne was certain that she was going to die. She would have too, had it not suddenly veered off course and head straight back for Nyru, who ended up taking the hit in the side.

"Stay the hell away from my fiancee, my son and my brother."

Anne blinked, not so much because she was surprised Chris was there (although she had thought him to be in the underworld with his aunts) but more so because of what he had called her. Fiancee? Why was she not aware of the change in status? She realized that now was a bad time to think about that though, and instead moved to stand protectively in front of the children, unsure of what she could possibly do to stop the demon, but at the same time feeling it was her duty to do _something_.

"Or what?" Nryu asked in challenge. "Think about it. I have your baby self and your mother. You kill me and they die."

"I imagine they've already been saved." Chris replied calmly. "Or did you forget that I have two powerful Aunts and an Elder for a father? No demons you can send in will be a match for them." He took a step forward. "So, that leaves me free to vanquish you."

Nryu shook his head. "You don't have the power."

Raising his hand, Nyru sent a fireball towards Chris, who easily reflected it with the wave of his hand. This time, the demon was ready and shimmered out of the way causing the attack to hit the wall, leaving a burn mark. When he reappeared, Nyru was behind Chris, athame at the ready to strike.

"Chris, behind you!"

Hearing Anne's warning just in time, Chris caught his assailant's wrist and bent forward pulling the demon over his head, throwing him to the ground. Nyru shimmered out and back in, this time in front of Chris, and in close range. When he threw his energy ball at Chris, there wasn't enough time for the witch-whitelighter to reflect it. Luckily it was enough time to orb out.

Chris reappeared in between the demon and the kids. As soon as he was formed, he lifted his hand and used his power to slam the demon into the wall across from the room out in the hallway. Before his opponent could get to his feet, Chris used his telekinesis to lift him off the ground then hurl him back into the wall again. When Nyru seemed to be weakened enough, the young man raised his hand and slowly began clenching it into a fist, concentrating on stopping the demon's heart.

"It won't. . .work." Nyru gasped through the pain. "You'll n-never beat...me." Using the last of his strength the demon raised his hand to toss an energy ball at Chris, forcing him to lose his concentration on the heart and instead refocus his energy on deflecting the energy ball.

In that time, Nyru shimmered right in front of Chris again, but this time he conjured an athame, and lunged forward. Chris couldn't orb out fast enough and ended up taking the knife in the chest, a little too close to his heart for comfort. He cried out in pain and sunk to his knees, gasping for breath that didn't seem to want to come.

Nyru loomed over him. "See? The weakest link. Pathetic."

"Shut your bloody mouth!" Anne cried as she hit the demon over the back of the head with the small sitting chair she had picked up from the nursery. It broke into tiny pieces, and this time, the demon staggered when he turned to face her. It didn't, however, stop him from picking her up and throwing her into the nursery, heading straight for the wall. She never made contact with it. A strange force seemed to wrap around her, slow her body down in the air and land her gracefully on her feet.

Nyru was furious by the intervention and was more determined to go after Anne, forgetting about Chris for the moment.

Taking advantage of the neglect, Chris whipped out from his pocket the vanquishing spell and potion he had made. He threw the vile to the ground at the demon's feet, smoke rising around Nyru. Reading in between gasps of pain and coughing, "In this day. . .a- and in this cough. . . hour, I c-call up-upon. . . the ancient p-power. Send cough cough this d-demon back. . . to hell-"

Nyru raised his hand sending another fire ball at Anne. It missed its mark as Chris caught sight of the attack and paused in the vanquish long enough to reflect it. It was all the distraction Nyru needed to shimmer out of the manor, deciding to get out of there and live to fight another day.

"D-damn it!" He coughed hard, blood coming up.

Anne winced at the outburst. It was her fault the demon had gotten away. If she hadn't been there, Chris wouldn't have gotten distracted. He would have been able to finish the spell, and Nyru would have been out of their lives forever. Now, he was out there somewhere. He could come after Alex again, and it was all her fault. d

She ran to her boyfriend's side, ignoring Alex's and Wyatt's fearful cries for the moment. Chris was bleeding badly, and needed her attention more at the moment. Ripping off the sleeve of her shirt, she pushed it hard over the wound to stop the bleeding, then gently guided Chris onto the floor. She pushed his dark bangs from his face gently with her free hand. "You're going to be okay."

"H-how. . . c-could I . . .n-not be?" He grinned. "I've g-got. . .a cough great d-doctor cough coughlooking. . . after me."

He began coughing harder, more blood coming up, splattering onto his light blue shirt. The young man closed his eyes as he winced in sheer agony. He was trying to be strong, so as to not scare her. It wasn't working. The pain was showing through, and Anne was terrified.

"Chris, we need Leo. This is bad. It must have punctured your lung. I can't do anything for you here." When he kept his eyes closed and didn't respond, tears slipped down her face. And she held him against her chest. "Chris? Oh god. Please no. Leo!"

"M-marry. . .me." More coughing, more blood. Her ripped off sleeve was soaked crimson now too.

Anne shook her head. "Save your strength." Looking up to the ceiling. "Leo! Chris is dying!" When no one came, her tears flowed stronger. She felt so helpless in that moment with the man she loved lying, bleeding to death in her arms. "I have to call an ambulance."

"N-no."

"Chris, it's your only hope."

Chris weakly shook his head. "Explanation..."

Again, coughing with blood.

Anne knew what he was trying to say. How were they going to explain his wound? She didn't care. Some attacker off the street stabbed him. It didn't matter what they told the authorities! She had to get him healed. If not magically then in a hospital. "We can deal with that later. I've got to call 911."

She gently placed him down on the floor and started to rise to her feet, only to stop when he reached up and touched her arm. She gazed down at him through tear filled eyes, and stopped in her tracks at the soft look in his jade colored eyes. They were even more bright then usual, probably because his skin was so pale from blood loss. Within them was the look of someone afraid to die alone.

"A-answer. . .coughcough me."

Anne couldn't hold back any longer. She began to sob. "Of course I will. I love you so much. I can't lose you, so, please, Chris, you have to let me call for an ambulance."

He didn't respond. His soul had left his body and was currently standing next to Anne. Chris glanced back at his body and grimaced. He really didn't look too hot with all the blood and white skin and all. He turned to face Anne a sad smile on his face. "Anne." She jumped at the sight of his spirit. He reached out to touch her, but as he knew it would, his hand passed right through her. Chris then held his hand a little way away from her face, pretending he could touch it one last time. "Thank you for showing me I was capable of finding love again. You've given me a chance at happiness that I never thought existed. Even if we can't make it official, you are my wife in all the ways that count."

Anne sobbed harder, her ice blue eyes filled with so many tears that she could hardly see. "No...please, no. Don't go. Chris, I love you."

"Let my family help with Alex. If I can't be there for him, I want my family to. Make sure he knows I love him, and I'll be watching over him." Chris said as his spirit started moving on.

"Oh my God, Chris!"

Anne turned around at the sound of Piper's voice and watched as her sisters held her back, allowing Leo room to get through. The father didn't look so hot himself. Pale and shaky, the Elder knelt down next to his son and quickly allowed the healing glow to cover the wound. It didn't heal. At first. Then, slowly the blood began to disappear, the wound closing as though it had never been there at all. Chris's spirit returned to it's body and he woke with a shuddering gasp. His fiancee threw herself at him, holding him tightly, afraid that if she didn't, his spirit would end up trying to leave again.

"Hey, I'm okay. It's all right, Anne." Chris said, returning her embrace and stroking her long black hair to calm her.

Piper, finally free of her sisters' hold, ran to her son's side and promptly cupped him in the back of the head. "How dare you do something so reckless! I get rescued only to find my son's spirit is starting to depart into the great beyond! Do you have _any_ idea how terrified I was, Christopher? This is the second time in two months you've scared the hell out of me. Now, what do you have to say for yourself, hmm?"

"I love you?"

His mother sighed as she looked into the big green eyes and knew that she couldn't stay upset with him. She just couldn't. "What am I going to do with you? You and Wyatt are both going to get away with murder aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

Paige glanced down at her watch and groaned. "So much for my date. Guess I'll have to reschedule again."

"Yeah, the wiccaning too." Pheobe replied.

Anne glanced at Chris and saw the slight disappointment shadowing his eyes. She returned her focus to the sisters and Leo. "Do we have to? Can't we do it tonight? With Nyru on the loose I would think it wiser to have Alexander blessed in goodness and light–protected from evil as Chris said."

The sisters and Leo shared questioning looks before each one nodded in agreement. Piper smiled down at the young parents. "Tonight it is."

After the rest had left for the attic to finish the last of the details and tosummon Grams, Chris looked at Anne, his eyes serious, his voice soft. "Our son will be blessed, Anne. No darkness will touch him, I promise. I will find Nyru, and next time, he won't survive."

Anne should have been comforted by the strong words. Instead, she felt dread clog her heart like tar. Her fear of losing Chris suddenly increased by ten fold. If he found Nyru and they faced off again, would she lose Chris for good?

tbc. . .


	23. The Wiccaning

CHAPTER 23

**The Wiccaning**

Piper Halliwell absently bounced her youngest son on her hip while her sisters started setting up a circle of white candles in the attic. They were preparing for her grandson's wiccaning. Her grandson...it still felt odd to think that she was a grandma in her early thirties. Still, she couldn't be happier about it. Her family may not be the normal family she had always envisioned and dreamed for, but it was her family none the less. She had a wonderful husband, two beautiful little boys, one noble, loving yet slightly neurotic adult son from the future, and now she had a sweet newborn grandson who could melt her heart just as easily as his father could. She was a lucky woman.

Just as the last thought had crossed her mind, Piper heard her youngest sister talking about what had happened in Nyru's lair. Paige was wondering if Grams would know anything about baby Chris' power. Piper had to admit she had been pretty shocked when the white light had appeared destroying every demon in its wake. "Yeah, wonder why Chris didn't tell us about that."

"Chris doesn't tell us a lot of things, Piper." Pheobe replied. "Like the fact that he was engaged to an assassin, or that he was your son. Even now, almost two years later, he still has secrets from us. Like all these powers that he hasn't ever told us about."

Leo looked up from his place on the floor next to Wyatt, who was playing with some blocks. "That's not fair, Pheobe. He was trying to protect the future. Besides, like I said before, Chris' powers may have changed because I was an elder when he was conceived."

"That still doesn't explain why he feels the need to keep things from us." Paige shot back.

"I keep things from you that aren't important."

All eyes turned toward the new voice. Chris was standing in the doorway to the attic, one arm cradling Alex, the other around Anne's waist. When no one said anything else, he pulled away from his fiancee and handed her the baby, opting to fold his arms over his chest and shoot dark looks at his aunts. When they both merely shot each other guilty looks, Chris shook his head. "You guys are something else, you know that? Always prying to know everything about everyone. It doesn't matter whether or not the person wants to tell you. You just have to know to satisfy your own curiosity. Well, you know what? I hated that about you when I was growing up and I hate it even more now."

"Well, if you hadn't lied to us for a year, maybe we wouldn't be so suspicious when you keep things from us." Paige remarked defensively.

"Paige!" Leo and Piper admonished.

Pheobe took a step toward her nephew, her eyes just as soft as her tone. "Chris, we just want to get to know you. You've been in the past for almost two whole years, but there is still so much we don't know about you. Like the powers thing. It's not that we don't trust you or love you, it's just that we don't understand why you can't open up to us. Even with a little thing like what powers you have."

"You're absolutely right, Pheobe. It's a little thing, so drop it."

Piper frowned, unsure where all of these questions and hostilities were coming from. This was not how things were supposed to be going. Alex was going to get blessed tonight. His father shouldn't be under interrogation. Besides, all this could wait for another time. What did it really matter anyway? Though, she had to admit herself, Chris' secrets seemed unnecessary too. Why hadn't he ever used his powers before? Like against Nyru? Or any of the other countless demons that had attacked them?

"You guys, this is ridiculous. Chris is right. None of this matters. So, he has a few more powers than he let on. It doesn't mean anything." Leo said, standing up to help defend his second born. "Now, let's just summon Grams and forget about secrets and lies and concentrate on blessing Alex in goodness and light."

Anne glanced between her fiancee and his aunts, knowing that for whatever reason, the three Halliwells were not going to let it go. She couldn't help but wonder at Chris' behavior. Why was he getting so defensive? If his Aunts wanted to know more about him, then just tell them. What was the big deal? "Chris, why not just tell them? What does it matter? Satisfy their curiosities and let's be done with it."

Chris paused a moment, obviously trying to decide whether or not to tell them. He let out a frustrated breath, and ran a hand through his chestnut hair. "Fine. Telekinesis, orbing, sensing, glamouring, and astral projection. Happy now?"

"What about freezing time?" Paige asked. "You forgot that one."

The youngest Halliwell glared at her. "I didn't forget it. I don't have that power." At their confused looks he rolled his eyes. "It's an advanced use of my telekinesis and sensing. I use the sensing to detect the individual's molecules and the telekinesis to manipulate the molecules just like mom does naturally. Are we finished now?"

"But wouldn't that take longer than just waving your hand?" Pheobe asked, not sure whether she believed him or not.

"Used to. I got better at doing it though." He turned to his mother. "Now, can we summon Grams?"

Piper frowned, clearly seeing how upset he was over all this nonsense. She didn't understand. Why had he been so defensive when Paige and Pheobe had asked him about it? There was something up with her baby boy and she wanted to find out what before the wiccaning took place. Best to clear the air now. "How come we've never seen you use it before now?"

Chris turned to Leo for support, not wanting to have to answer that. His father was looking concerned. . .and curious. He looked at Anne. She too had a confused look in her blue eyes. So, they were really going to make him admit it? Fine. Whatever it took to get them to understand why he needed–needs– his secrets. "I started practicing that power when I was young...seven or so. It took me forever to get it to work. I was about ten years old when I finally managed to freeze something for the first time. Didn't last long. My concentration couldn't hold all those tiny molecules in place. Blowing stuff up is easier. Takes less mental prowess to make things move faster than to keep them still."

He sighed, trying to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. He knew that he couldn't delay much longer though. They did deserve to know the truth. All of it. Even if it brought forth the most painful memory of his life. "I started trying to copy Mom's powers in the first place because A. I felt inferior to Wyatt and thought maybe if I worked hard enough I could actually manipulate molecules with telekinesis in order to have more magical abilities and B.. . ." his cheeks reddened even as he thought about it, "I wanted to be just like mom."

Chris paused again, trying not to notice the softened looks, the 'aw how cute' expression on his Aunt Pheobe's face. He hated that look. It made him feel like a child all over again. His control would slip if he let himself fall back into that role. He couldn't be their little boy right now. He couldn't. He'd fall apart if he did. So, he kept remembering that he wasn't in his time, that these were not the all powerful, all wise adults he had been raised by, but rather his peers.

"Anyway, I used the powers a lot when I first got the hang of them. I thought they were the coolest. Even Wyatt had to admit that I had come up with a great innovation. Not everyday someone can turn their power into something so versatile. I just never realized. . .I mean if I had..." He swallowed and took a deep breath. "When I was fourteen, Nyru attacked the manor. Full force. Everyone assumed he was after Wyatt or the book. He wasn't though. He was after me. Like he said, I was the weakest link."

Piper saw the pain on his face, the agony in his eyes and her heart broke for her son. She knew where this story was heading. Knew that her son was about to disclose the most painful memory he had to them. "Chris, you don't have to-"

"-Yes." He smiled weakly at her. "I do. Maybe then you'll all understand why I don't tell you as much as you'd like to know."

Paige and Pheobe had tears in their eyes, both of them knowing where this was heading as well. Chris was about to tell them about the day he lost his mother. Their sister. He was about to tell a painful, heartbreaking tale because they had kept pushing him for answers. Pushing him to tell them more about himself. Why couldn't they ever just leave well enough alone?

"Anyway, demon after demon kept showing up, and I'd blow some up, freeze others. I thought I was unstoppable. Invincible. Until Nyru shimmered in. I tried to blow him up, but he was unaffected. Apparently some demons are made up of already racing molecules and speeding them up further is pretty much impossible. I tried to freeze him, but his molecules were moving so fast I couldn't get a hold." Chris closed his eyes to drown out his family's tear stained faces. "I was in shock...terrified that nothing I did would work. My confidence was gone. So, when he threw that energy ball at me, instead of doing what would have come naturally– using my telekinesis to hurl it back– I dove under the kitchen table. I kept trying and trying to freeze him, all the while dodging his attacks instead of taking an offensive of my own using the power I was born with. I was so fixated on that damn hybrid power that I didn't notice when he had me backed into a corner...when he threw the athame..."

Chris opened his eyes now, and immediately regretted the action. Everyone was near tears, especially his Mom. He hated seeing her cry. So, he turned his attention else where, to his aunts. They had wanted to know the truth, so he was going to give to them. The cold hard truth. "Mom didn't even have time to freeze it by the time she found me in the kitchen. Her instincts kicked in...she dove in front of me."

His green eyes became clouded with tears that he refused to let fall. He swallowed, forcing himself to finish. "Nyru had done what a thousand other demons had failed to accomplish...destroyed the power of three forever. I called and called for Wyatt and Dad, but neither came. Mom..." He took a deep breath to steady his voice before continuing. "Mom died in my arms..."

Anne slipped her hand around his, squeezing gently. Her fiancee rewarded her with a tired smile and a slight nod.

"After Mom died...I couldn't stand using my telekinesis to mimic her powers. They were the reason she died. If I had just orbed out or thrown him across the room _anything_...she wouldn't have died. Plus...they reminded me of her, and I really didn't want that. It hurt too much."

Paige swallowed, looking miserable. "I am so, so sorry, Chris."

"Me too," Pheobe added.

Leo put his arm around Piper protectively. Then, an idea struck him and he couldn't help but ask: "But things are different now. That's why you used that power, isn't it?"

Chris frowned. He really hadn't thought about it. It had seemed right somehow. Find Mom by using her power. The emotional pain hadn't hit him when he'd done so. Maybe it was a sign. Things were different and it was time to let go of the past...all of it. The guilt, the pain, the fear. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Things may have changed for us and baby Chris, but it doesn't make what happened any less real for this Chris, so next time you two decide to make him share one of his secrets, think about the fact that maybe some secrets are kept because they are private and possibly even painful." Piper said, protectively.

Her adult son smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"We should summon Grams before the boys are all too tired for a wicanning." Leo cut the silence, while successfully changing the subject.

"What about Grandpa?" Chris asked, worried that no one had contacted his beloved grandfather.

Piper smiled. "I already called him. He'll be here soon."

"Talking about me?" Victor Bennett asked from the doorway.

"Grandpa, I'm so glad you could make it." Chris said as he rushed to hug the newcomer. He then moved to reveal Anne and the baby. "This is my fiancee, Anne, and our son Alex."

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on there, Mister. Fiancee?" Piper asked, a grin forming.

Chris nodded, his jade eyes never leaving Anne's blue. "Yes. My fiancee."

"He was dying. I was crying. You know how it goes." Anne said, smiling and blushing.

Piper snorted. "You have no idea how well I know." She glanced over at Leo, and the couple shared a knowing look, remembering their time in the ghostly plane. Their love for each other had been renewed in a very similar circumstance. Hell, it was how Chris had been conceived.

"Not to cut this love fest short, but we really should summon Grams." Paige interrupted.

The three sisters moved to stand next to one another, each reciting the words to the summoning spell. When it was finished, swirling bright white lights appeared within the circle of candles forming one Penny Halliwell. She smiled widely as she stepped out from the circle becoming corporeal as she did so.

Penny opened her arms to her granddaughters who each in turn gave her a hug. When they had all finished, she turned to Chris, her arms still outstretched and the softest look he had ever seen on her face. "Come here, Christopher."

"That's okay..." He replied nervously, giving his father a questioning look.

Leo smiled and shrugged.

"No it is most certainly not, young man. You lied to me. You told me you were my girls' novice whitelighter. Of course I was going to treat you the way I did. You were just another man going to hurt my girls. Now that I know who you are and what you did for this family, I demand that you come here right this minute and give your great Grams a hug."

Chris reluctantly walked forward, giving her a tentative hug. When he pulled away he saw the respect in her eyes and had to wonder if perhaps he was dreaming. This was Great Grams...she never liked him needless to say respected him. He was a man, and as she used to say, all men were evil. Especially Halliwell men. Magic corrupts them. She had never been affectionate because she had never approved of him existing. It was worse when Wyatt had proved her right and gone to evil. Whenever she was summoned...well, Chris was usually forced to hide in his room for fear his own great Grams might try to vanquish him. This Grams...well, she was kind of creeping him out in a whole different way...

"Now, is that my great great grandchild?" She pushed past Chris, her former softness gone just as fast as it had come on. Her attention was entirely directed at Anne and the tiny child in her arms. Her face fell. "Another boy, huh?"

Chris shot his mother a look.

"Grams." Piper warned.

The matriarch rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. "I'm just saying that it wouldn't be so terrible if one of the Halliwells of the next generation was a girl. After all, the entire family had been comprised of women until recently."

"Things change." Chris replied with a hint of bitterness.

Leo smiled at his son, while Victor shot him a wink. Chris smiled at the gestures, grateful that at least they understood how Grams could make him feel.

Penny Halliwell threw up her hands. "Well, it doesn't matter. Tonight we celebrate the life of the next Halliwell child. Little...?"

"Alexander Christopher Halliwell." Victor answer, proud that he knew something the old battle axe didn't.

"Right." Grams replied, making a face. "Should've known you'd be here."

Victor folded his arms over his chest. "Just start the ceremony, Penny."

Moving to stand in front of the entire Halliwell clan, Grams recited the spell to bring forth all the matriarchs. When she had finished, spirits of Halliwells past began to appear in swirls of bright white light, each smiling at the small baby in Anne's arms. Then two people appeared that no one had expected to see...

"Mom...? P-Prue. . .?" Piper breathed out.

Victor swallowed, shaking his head. "Patty? Prue?"

"Hello, Victor." Patty replied, moving to her ex-husband. The two embraced, then watched as their daughters reunited.

Pheobe's eyes went wide, a huge smile reaching across her face, and before she could even think of what she was doing, she was running to her oldest sister, throwing her arms around the corporeal spirit. "Prue!"

Prue returned the embrace, smiling in pure joy at being with her family again, even if for only a while. "I missed you too, Pheebs."

When Pheobe reluctantly pulled away, Prue turned to Piper, her smile faltering slightly at the sight of the pain written in her baby sister's eyes. After she had died, Prue had seen what Piper had gone through. The agony her death had caused her little sister had torn her apart, especially when she discovered there was nothing she could do to console her. Hopefully she could make up for that now. "Piper, don't I get a hug?"

Letting tears flow down her face, Piper stood still for a moment, fearing that if she moved or breathed, Prue would disappear again. Eventually she began to slowly move forward, her eyes never leaving Prue's. When she was standing right in front of her sister, Piper swallowed and held out baby Chris. Prue took the baby in her arms and smiled widely.

Piper watched as Prue bounced the one year old, smiling brightly. It was what she had always wanted. "That is Chris...my son. The toddler with Leo is Wyatt, our first born." She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "You missed so much, Prue. So much. You have two nephews, whose births you never saw. Two nephews who I feared would never get the chance to know you because you left us."

Chris stepped forward, wrapping his arm around his mother's shoulders. He more than anyone else in the room knew how hard this reunion was for Piper. He had seen it happen before. It didn't happen until he was six in the original time. He had been unable to give his mom the kind of support she had needed then, but he could now. "It's okay, Mom. We do get to know Aunt Prue. She helped me a lot in the future."

"I was also watching when both of your boys were born. Piper, I would not have missed it for the world. You know that."

Chris gave his mother's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Let it go, Mom. Let the anger and pain go." The young man turned to look at Victor. "As a wise man once told me, when you have the chance to see a loved one thought gone forever, cherish the moment. Don't dwell on having to say goodbye again."

Piper turned to her son, studying his face for a moment. She understood that he had been talking about the advice Victor had given him about getting close to her. Chris had been scared to have to say goodbye to her for good. She smiled up at him. "Thank you sweetie." The double meaning in her words was not lost on her baby boy, who bent to hug her before stepping back, allowing for her to move into her sister's outstretched free arm.

The two sisters remained in an embrace for a long moment before Piper pulled away, brushing away her tears once more and smiling at baby Chris who was gurgling happily. Prue smiled down at her youngest nephew and ran a finger along the side of his face tenderly. The child reached up at grabbed it in his pudgy little hand. Prue was immediately in love. She looked to his adult counterpart. "Aren't you just the little charmer?"

Chris shrugged, smiling. "Guess some of us are just born with it."

Prue turned to the blonde haired toddler. "What about you little guy? You wanna say hello?"

Wyatt went up in a swirl of orbs, appearing in front of his aunt. He held up a block for her to take. "Pway."

"Oh, they are just too cute." Prue replied, bending down and hugging Wyatt with her free arm, while little Chris started chattering in baby talk.

Prue gave Wyatt one last squeeze before rising to her feet and moving to Leo. She kissed Chris on the cheek before handing him over to his father. Prue grinned at the easy way Leo handled the infant. "I always knew you'd be a great father, Leo. You're a good man, and I'm sooo happy for you and Piper."

With tears in his eyes, Leo swallowed. "I've missed you too, Prue."

Prue smiled appreciatively before turning her attention on the youngest Charmed One, who looked like she was about to crawl into a corner and never come out. From what she had seen of her baby sister Paige was nothing if not confident, but the woman standing before her seemed so unsure, almost frightened. Prue didn't want her baby sister to be intimidated by her. She wanted Paige to know that there were no hard feelings. She didn't feel replaced. So, she extended a hand. "I'm Prue."

"So, I heard." Paige replied, half in awe. After a moment she snapped out of her stupor and took the offered hand. "Paige. I'm Paige Matthews."

"I know." Prue replied smiling. "I've been watching you too, you know. Piper was right. You brought this family back together again, and I will always be grateful to you for that. You are a remarkable woman, Paige, and I'm proud and honored to be your sister."

Paige blinked, her mouth opening but no words coming out. Then, she just smiled, her eyes watering. "Thanks. I feel the same way about you."

Their mother smiled widely, enjoying seeing all her daughters together for the first time. It was just like she had always hoped it would be. However, the hour was getting late and the other matriarchs were getting restless. She hated to do it, but she interrupted the perfect moment. "We really should start the wicanning, girls."

Prue smiled at her family, looking at each member at a time. Her eyes rested on Chris. His jade eyes locked with hers and for a moment, she felt as though she had met a kindred spirit. Well, she had watched him while he was in the past...he was just as stubborn and strong willed as she was. . .but he was also as fiercely loyal and loving. That boy had a special destiny. She could feel it.

"I love you, Pruedence." Victor cut into her thoughts.

His eldest daughter turned her sights onto him, and before she could come up with a sharp comment, remembered what the man had done for her nephew. Maybe he had changed after all. She graced him with a smile before returning her attention to the rest of her family. "I love you all.

"Come on darling, let's get back to where we belong. It's time for the wiccaning to begin." The mother of the Charmed Ones said, guiding Prue back to the other spirits where they too became ghosts once more.

Grams took Alex into her arms,turning to face the spirits of the Halliwell family. After a moment to allow the living members of the family to compose themselves after the shocking reunion, shebegan the ceremony. "Tonight we bless Alexander Halliwell in all the goodness and light that our family can provide. . ."

000

That night in the apartment he shared with Anne, while she slept, Chris sat in the kitchen feeding his son a bottle. He gazed down at the little baby and shook his head. Ever since his aunts had started in on him about his 'freezing' power, he couldn't get the memory of his mother's death out of his head. It was haunting him. The mistakes he had made had cost his mother her life. What if he made mistakes when he found Nyru? Who would pay the price?

Chris sighed, trying not to think that way. He needed to be strong. "I'm not going to let Nryu beat me ever again. I'm not a fourteen year old boy anymore. I won't make the same mistake that I made then. I promise I will protect you and your mom. You won't ever have to feel the loss that I felt. You're going to have the life I always wished I had. No pain. No guilt. No fear. That's what I promise you on your wiccaning day."

He looked up and out the window, toward the large pale moon whispering, "I promise you."

tbc...

Okay, it was a total filler chapter, but the next one will get back to the meat of the story. Promise :)


	24. The Wedding

Starry Sky 44

I'm glad you are enjoying this so much. Hopefully I can keep it up--hate disappointing people. Thanks for the review! CharmedOne24  
Hehe, with Grams it really is hard to say what she'll think of a male Halliwell. ;) Glad you liked that part! Also, glad you don't mind fillers because this chapter doesn't have much action either, but it is important...Anywho, thanks again for the review! Meretricus  
This is gonna sound terrible but I'm glad you almost cried--that means I'm doing my job. You know what I mean. :) I love writing Chris as a dad. I figure he'd be excellent at it because he'd want to be the kind of father he never had. Though, I also love him as a son. I just love chris! hehe Glad you are liking--thanks for the review! Stranded Stargazer  
Yay! So glad you liked it. Hopefully you'll like this part then too. It's a bit more of the same. The action happens more later. Thanks for the review :) piperleo4eva  
oooh! Excellent choice in music, but yes, very sad. I can see how that might make you want to cry. Glad you thought that part was emotional. I was trying for that. So, yay for getting that feeling across:) Thanks for reviewing--always appreciated ;) ilovedrew88 hehe--I love Chris and Grams. They were great together. Glad you liked how I portrayed his reaction to her. I figure that he would be intimidated by her. She's very intimidating:) Thanks for the review, and hopefully I didn't make you wait too long.

CHAPTER 24

**The Wedding**

Chris glared at Anne from his spot on the bed as she busied herself with the finishing touches of her wardrobe. When she ignored the blatant frustration oozing off him, the young witch-whitelighter stood with arms crossed over his bare chest his jade eyes boring into the back of her head. Anne merely caught his eye in the looking glass she was using and gave a little wave to his reflection.

"I'm not going."

The dark haired woman turned around at that one. She tilted her head and gave a reproachful look, her bright blue eyes cutting into his green. "Christopher Perry Halliwell, stop acting like a petulant child. Tori is my best friend, and I have not seen her much since you entered my life, so we are going to go to dinner with her, you are going to be civil, and that is final."

Chris let out a breath to stop the harsh words that he had wanted to let fly. After giving himself enough time to calm down, he returned to his place on the bed and decided to try to get through to his soon to be wife exactly why he wouldn't be going. "I love you. You know that I would be willing to do most anything, but Tori is such a-"

Anne raised an eyebrow in warning.

"-an _interesting_ woman." Chris said, trying to avoid angering his fiancee anymore than necessary.

"She's a sweetie, really she is, Chris. You just haven't given her a fair shot."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Fair shot? She annoys the hell out of me, yet I still sit and listen to her quack pot theories on magic, put up with her insulting comments about me and my family and the entire magical community, and try not to wince every time she calls me 'Angel man'. I think that's giving her a fair enough shot."

Storming out of the room, Anne slammed the door on her way out.

The mirror came crashing to the floor as Chris' emotions got the better of him. It was followed by two pictures and their alarm clock. When the alarm clock hit the floor, it started going off with a loud buzzing sound combined with the radio. Chris glanced over at it, gestured mildly with his hand and grinned as it smashed into a thousand pieces against the wall. "I feel better."

Alex's baby monitor revealed slight fussing from his formerly slumbering infant. Chris sighed and walked into his son's room, surprised to find Anne already there, her eyes watery as she grabbed a diaper from a newer package and moved to fix Alex's problem. She hadn't noticed Chris in the doorway.

"There, there, Alex. Mum will make it better in a second." Anne said, still fighting off tears. She made quick work of the dirty diaper, cleaned the baby, then replaced the diaper, all the while, oblivious to Chris watching her. She just kept talking to Alex.

"See, all better." The mother sniffled. "Well, at least you are all better. Your mum? She's a bit of a mess, now isn't she? Crying over a little tift." She placed the baby back in his crib, and leaned on the rail, her head resting on her folded arms. "I love you. I love your dad too. I just wish. . ." She sighed, trying to put into words what she had been feeling lately. "I wish I could have some of my old life back. My medical career isn't going well. With the maternity leave in the middle of my internship, I feel as though I'm falling too far behind to ever catch up again. Then, there are my friends. Well, friend. Think I've lost all the others. Didn't keep in touch what with being pregnant with my little magical bundle of joy, and all the d-e-m-o-n-s that kept popping up. Tori is all I have left, and your dad hates her. If I have to choose then of course I'll pick Chris, but. . ."

At that Chris felt a pang of guilt. Anne really had given up an awful lot for him and their son. Now he was being a jerk about spending time with one of her oldest friends just because the woman annoyed him? It really wasn't fair of him. "Anne."

Sapphire eyes jumped up to meet his in shock. "Chris?"

"So. . ." he sighed dramatically, "when is dinner?"

000

Tori was staring at him again. Chris smiled awkwardly. She winked. What the hell? He put down his fork and cast a look at Anne, who seemed unaware of the total stalker vibe Tori had been giving out all night. In fact, his future bride was so oblivious that she was babbling about Tori being her maid of honor. Chris took this to mean that the psycho was invited to their wedding. Greeaaaat.

"So, Chris, can you show me your powers again?" Tori asked dreamily.

Chris gave her an irritated look. "No."

"I bet you're very powerful. I've been reading up on your family. The Charmed Ones. Amazing, really. You must be powerful too."

Chris picked up his fork, swirling the spaghetti around it and shoving it into his mouth so that he didn't have to answer. It was a large sacrifice on his part. Tori's cooking rivaled his Aunt Pheobe's when it came to the level of horribleness. Basically, the noodles weren't fully cooked, and the sauce was definitely out of a can. Practically pure tomatoes. His finely tuned tongue was going to wither and die if he had to keep tasting this food.

"So, Tori," Anne intervened, "I hear that you've taken over that little occult shop on 24th and Center. How's it going?"

"Business is booming. You have no idea how many real live witches are living in our city!" The woman turned to look at Chris, "None as powerful as you and your family though. You guys are truly something. Bet demons would do anything to see all of you in coffins."

Chris choked, coughing. Had she really just said that?

Anne moved to start rubbing circles on his back, waiting for him to recover. "You okay, Chris?"

After finally getting down the clump of food that had been lodged in his throat, Chris shot his fiancee a pointed look. "Peachy."

"So, Angel Man..."

Chris bit the inside of his cheek to stop from saying something he may later regret.

"...when you were younger did you ever mis-use your magic? Maybe make a girl you had the hots for sleep with you? Is that what you did with Anne? Because she said that night in the backroom of the club was like magic made her do it."

"Tori!" Anne cried out, shocked and embarrassed.

Her friend leaned over the table to Chris, whispering conspiratorially, "You can tell me the truth, Man-Witch. Did you cast that old black magic?"

"Man witch sounds like a type of disgusting meat that was outlawed in 2010 because it started causing people's stomachs to spontaneously combust, so if you don't mind-never call me that again." Chris glanced over at Anne, his gaze clearly showing his embarrassment and anger at her having said anything about their relationship to her friend. "As for what happened that night, that is between us."

"So, that's a yes, right?"

Even Anne had to roll her eyes. "Tori. Enough."

Tori shrugged. "We're all adults..."

Chris closed his eyes and counted to ten.

Anne sighed, feeling as though this night had already turned out to be the total disaster Chris had predicted it would be. Maybe he was right. Maybe Tori was rude and loud and even dense at times, but the woman had always stood by Anne's side when the tough times struck. She was a valuable friend. Surely, there was some way to make the madness stop? It seemed that Tori only went over the edge when magic was involved so. . .

"How about we talk about the wedding? I was thinking that we could have the ceremony at a church-if that's okay with you, Chris, then maybe your mum would let us have a small reception at P3?"

Chris let out a breath, glad that the subject was off him. "A church is good. Reception at P3 sounds like fun too."

"What if a demon attacks during the wedding?" Tori asked, oblivious to the blatant attempt at changing the topic away from magic.

Glancing down at the napkin on the table, Chris had a very strong urge to use his telekinesis to ram it down her throat. God, he wanted to be anywhere else. The underworld, up there, it really didn't matter. Just somewhere else.

"I bet demons are gonna come after Alex too." Tori kept going, starting to get really excited. "He's gotta be powerful too. Hey, I bet that your son is going to be something real special. Maybe the future ruler of the world or something?"

Chris flashed to the future he had come from where his brother had been the ruler of the world. The city in ruins. Demons walking the streets. Good magical beings hiding in fear of Wyatt's witch hunt. Probes circling everywhere, signaling the deaths of many of those good witches. Wyatt, strangling a disloyal follower. Wyatt, shooting an Elder with a darklighter arrow. Wyatt, trying to kill Chris. . .and succeeding in killing Bianca.

Rising from his chair, Chris put his fork back down on his plate. "I don't feel so well. I think I'm gonna call it a night."

Just as he was about to orb out, Anne grabbed his arm, her blue eyes soft. She mouthed, "I'm so sorry."

Chris sighed, smiling softly. He knew how much his fiancee had wanted this to work, but Tori was just too crazy when it came to magic. It was like a celebrity trying to have a decent conversation with a stalker. It just wasn't ever going to work. "I'll see you at home."

"I will see you there shortly." Anne replied, turning a less than friendly eye on her friend. "Tori and I have a few things to _discuss_ before wedding preparations can get into full swing."

The witch-whitelighter knew that tone. Tori was sooo in trouble. He grinned, kissed the mother of his child on the cheek, then orbed to the manor to pick up Alex, who was being watched by his parents for the evening.

Anne glared at Tori. "You just don't think! _Angel-man? Man-witch?_ What kind of man do you think Chris is that you would presume he would find either of those names acceptable? And demons would do anything to see your family in coffins? Do you have any idea how that sounds? Did you even think about how painful that could be for him to hear considering that his family was _murdered by demons in the future_! Good Lord, Tori! And our son being ruler of the world? I told you that Chris came future to save his brother _the evil dictator of the world_! No wonder he couldn't stand to stay around any longer. I'm feeling rather ill myself."

The woman across from her paled dramatically. "I am so so sorry, Anne. I didn't think of it that way. I just...I've always known magic was real, and then I found out I was right, and not only was I right, but my best friend happened to be engaged to one of the heirs of all good magic–A Halliwell. I was excited. And when I'm in the same room with Chris, I can feel the power, and the mystic aura and I just get like a star struck teen. And I don't know what to say or ask, so horrible, inappropriate words just fly out of my mouth. Please, Annie, I never meant to hurt either of you. Honest."

"Yes, well, if you want to even _come_ to our wedding, I suggest you work out your awe induced stupors. You are my best friend, Tori, but for the sake of our friendship, I think it best you never mention anything about magic in front of me or Chris or our son."

Tori bit her lower lip. "I promise, Annie. I won't ever even think about magic or anything magic related next time."

Anne smiled now, relieved to hear that. "Good because I really need you to be my maid of honor."

"The offer still stands even after all the stupid things I said?"

"Even after all that." Anne glanced over to the pile of bridal magazines on the kitchen counter. Tori had been stocking up for years, and the young bride to be knew that she would be able to come up with the perfect set up with a little help from her best friend and those magazines. "Now, how about we get planning for this wedding? Let's start with the dress, then the flowers, food will be left up to Piper and Chris, let's see that leaves..."

"One happily ever after."

Anne grinned. "No matter what the details, right?"

"You two really are perfect for one another."

"I feel like when Chris and I become man and wife, my life will really start. I will feel. . .whole. Like I've finally found home." Anne let out a content sigh. "Our future is going to be wonderful."

000

"I'm completely screwed." Chris moaned, dropping his head into his hands.

Two hours of crunching numbers and they still said the same thing. No way could he afford the kind of wedding Anne deserved. He was taking all the shifts he could at P3 and as it was, barely able to cover the costs of living. The baby seemed to be costing more and more money every day, and things had been tight before Alex was born. There was no way he was asking his mother for a raise either. He had _some_ pride left for God's sake.

Alex stared at his father from his high chair, his big eyes focused on Chris. The young man turned to his son and sighed. "Your mom is going to kill me. You know that right? Women dream of their wedding days forever, and they have it all mapped out in their head by the time they are supposed to walk down the aisle, and I'm going to have to tell your Mom that whatever picture she has in her head, needs to be cropped big time."

The baby sneezed.

"You getting sick, Buddy?" Chris asked, instantly more concerned over his son than the bills. He lifted the baby out of the chair and studied him carefully. The little one's cheeks were flushed and his eyes seemed glossy.

Moving quickly into the bathroom, Chris rummaged through the cupboard until he found the little white baby thermometer. Replacing the plastic cover on the tip with a new one, Chris then made fast work to gently place it in Alex's ear. After a moment, the thermometer beeped. The father removed it and read the temperature: 102.

Chris had been vanquishing demons since he was two. Fought in a war against the most powerful demons and evil magical beings to ever exist for nearly six years. Had lead the resistance against his all powerful, evil older brother. When things got tough, the world had turned to him. People trusted him to stay calm, cool, and collected. However, those three characteristics which normally defined him seemed to fly out the window as soon as he read how fevered his son was.

"One-hundred and two? One hundred...oh no. No, no no. That's not good. That's not good at all."

The brunette witch moved out in the hallway, bouncing his son when he started to cry. The bouncing didn't alleviate the tears. Alex was suffering, and nothing but a doctor would fix that. Good thing he knew a good doctor then. "Anne? Anne, our son needs you."

Moving through the apartment, Chris remembered that Anne had gone out for the evening. She and Tori were going shopping for a wedding dress. She wouldn't be home for another couple of hours. When he remembered this, he halted in the middle of their bedroom, feeling the panic start to rise. He didn't know what to do.

Crying harder with every moment, Alex was beat red by now. Chris swallowed, then returned to hushing the small boy. "I'm so sorry, Alex. I should have noticed earlier. I should have seen the signs. I didn't know."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Okay, think, Halliwell, what are your options? Take him to a doctor? That takes a lot of time, and he'll have to wait and the fever could go higher, and all sorts of bad things could happen if it goes any higher. Plus, we can't really afford the medical bills. Call Dad? Personal gain consequences, and Alex needs to develop an immune system...oh screw it. Dad! Dad, I need your help!"

Within a few seconds after the second call, Leo Wyatt appeared, dressed in full Elder robes, a concerned look on his face. When he noticed the screaming child and Chris' panicked expression, his worries doubled. This was not normal. Chris was usually great with Alex, and certainly wouldn't panic over a little crying from the baby. "Chris, what's wrong?"

"He's sick. Really sick. His temp. is a hundred and two." Chris' jade eyes were wide in worry, and when he spoke his voice reflected how truly young he still was. It was the tone that really stuck with Leo because he had never heard his strong son speak so softly before...so desperately. "Please, heal him."

Leo nodded and without any hesitation reached over to his grandson, placing a hand over the little baby. Soon after, a soft golden glow covered the child. Lasting only for a minute, the healing light then faded, leaving a much happier child in its wake. Alex's color was back to normal and his eyes were clear once more.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Dad." Chris said in a rush, examining his son again to make sure he really was okay.

"No thanks needed, Son." Leo smiled at the little baby, running a finger along the child's cheek lightly. "What I don't understand, Alex, is why your daddy was so scared? Every baby gets sick now and then. Besides, I'm always just a call away. Yes I am." He looked up at his son. "So, Chris, you going to tell me why the man with nerves of steal suddenly let a situation completely throw him?"

Chris glanced down at the baby in his arms and sighed. He didn't want to say anything. He had thought he had moved past it, but in the end the fear he felt was always in his heart. He doubted it would ever go away completely. To tell Leo what he feared seemed likely to cement his doubts. Still, maybe Leo could help him? "I keep thinking I'm going to fail him again. I watched his future version die because of my own inadequacy. What if I'm still not good enough? What if I fail him again?"

"You won't."

The younger man rolled his eyes. "You don't know that."

"Yes I do." The elder held his son's eyes locked, his confidence in Chris showing through his own blue eyes, which were as bright as the light from the sun.

Seeing that confidence alleviated the brunette's concern slightly. His father– the one from his future– had never shown that kind of confidence in anything Chris did, so to see it now, meant the world to the young man. Thus relieved, Chris decided to change the subject and let his father tackle the next of his problems. "Well, maybe I won't fail as a father, but I'm failing as a fiancee already."

"Failing as a fiancee?" Leo folded his arms over his chest. "What exactly do you mean by that? Did Anne say something...?"

"No." Chris hedged, his pride suddenly welling up. He couldn't really admit to Leo that he was struggling to get by could he? Not when his father had just shown so much confidence in him. It might wash all that faith away, and that would hurt. A lot.

"Then what?"

Reminding himself that this wasn't the Leo he grew up with, the young father decided to just trust that the faith and love Leo felt for him was real and unconditional. It was a big step for the witch. Every other time he had taken this step he had landed flat on his face. Chris hoped this wouldn't turn out to be just like all those other moments of reaching out to Leo only to get pushed down. "I can't afford this wedding. Not the kind that Anne wants to have anyway."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

Chris let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. No condescending tone. That was a good sign. Best to keep going. "Well,...not exactly..."

"Chris, Anne is going to be your partner. If you can't trust her enough to discuss a small problem like this, then you really shouldn't be marrying her." Leo noticed the slight anger building behind his son's jade eyes and realized that came off as a little condescending, and he knew how much his son hated that. Better amend that fast. "What I mean is, you picked a good partner. You just have to have faith in her. She'll understand."

"I know. I just don't want to disappoint her."

Leo smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "At least you have _some_ money. When your mother and I got married...well, let's just say I didn't contribute a whole lot. Now _that_ was hard to handle. I felt like a complete failure as a man."

"Basically, your wise lesson is things could be worse, so get over it?"

"I think that about covers it."

Chris rolled his eyes, smiling. "Thanks."

Looking up to the ceiling Leo sighed. "Elders are calling." He returned his attention to his son. "Are you okay? I can stay if you need me to."

Truly touched by the offer, Chris shook his head. "No, that's okay. They need you more than I do right now. I'll talk to Anne about the rest."

"If Alex's fever comes back, just call for me, okay, Son?"

"Ok."

"And, Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"It's going to be a beautiful wedding."

000

"This wedding is going to be a disaster."

Piper, Paige and Pheobe all exchanged knowing looks and smiled at their future relative's panic. The wedding was about to start at any minute, and the blushing bride was having a case of classic cold feet. She feared that anything and everything would fall apart. She'd trip on her heels and fall on her face. A demon would attack. Her dress would rip. Chris would leave her at the alter. Alex would get sick. The woman just knew something terrible was going to happen.

"Oh, honey, don't worry. Everybody thinks their wedding is going to be something made in hell, but they never are." Paige attempted to comfort her.

"Well, mine was..."

Piper glared at her sister. "Pheobe! You are _not_ helping."

The middle Charmed One shrugged. "What? I'm not saying that hers and Chris' wedding is going to be hellish."

Piper rolled her eyes and chose to ignore her. Moving over to Anne, she held out a small box to the young woman. "Maybe this will raise your spirits." As Anne opened the box to reveal a pair of earrings, Piper went on to explain. "They were my mom's. I wore them on my wedding day, and I just know they'll bring you good luck."

Pheobe opened her mouth to point out how those earrings obviously weren't lucky being as Prue nearly ruined Piper's wedding, but Paige saw the look in her older sister's eyes and knew what she was thinking, so she elbowed her in the arm before she could say a word. Pheobe glared at her baby sister in return, but Paige ignored her.

Anne raised her ice blue eyes to look into her soon to be mother-in-law's chocolate brown. She smiled softly, shaking her head in amazement at the gesture. "This is unbelievable, Piper. Thank you so much. Are you sure you want me to wear these?"

"Well, you're going to be the daughter I never had--have--whatever. So, the answer is yes. Wear them."

Paige made a face as she glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Uh, guys. If we don't get moving, Chris is going to have a fit. You know how neurotic he can be about keeping schedules and stuff."

"Yeah, he gets it from his Mommy." Pheobe teased.

Piper narrowed her eyes at her sister. "There is nothing wrong with being organized and punctual."

"Anal." Paige coughed.

Anne shook her head and laughed softly as the sisters started to bicker back and forth with one another. She was actually going to be joining this disfunctional family in only a few minutes. Her mother-in-law was only nine years or so older than her. The entire family was comprised of magical beings, and each one of the Halliwell family had their own little quirks that were both endearing and annoying at the same time. Was she ready to jump into this family head first? Yes. Yes she was.

A soft knock at the door broke into Anne's thoughts and stopped the friendly fighting. Piper opened the door and to the bride's utter shock and joy, her mother appeared on the other side. Her mother had come all the way from London for her wedding? How could she afford it?

"Annie!"

The salt and pepper haired woman rushed to hug her daughter. Anne reveled in the moment. Ever since she had moved to the States she had missed her mother daily. The woman was more than her parent, she was her best friend. Whenever she needed advice she would ask it from her mother. When she had found out about being pregnant, she'd told her mother. When she found out about magic, she'd confided in her mother. When she first realized she was in love with Chris, but afraid that he would never feel the same way, she had cried on the phone to her mother. Of all the people to be at her wedding, her mother was the one Anne wanted the most, and now she was here. Anne couldn't have been happier.

Reluctantly pulling away, Anne couldn't tear her eyes off the older woman. It'd been so long since she'd seen her that she couldn't make herself believe it was real. "Mum, how did you manage this?"

"That positively adorable fiancee of yours arranged it." Her mother leaned in, whispering as though it were a secret. "It was magic, my dear. You told me it was real but until I saw Christopher in all those ethereal lights I never could wrap my mind around it all." She straightened up again, her eyes dancing. "A truly remarkable catch that boy. Sweet as could be when he fetched me this morning. Even carried all my bags for me."

"Chris brought you?"

Piper smiled, her pride in her son evident. "He felt bad about having to scale down the wedding so much, so he thought he would make it up to you. Normally he's a real stickler for the personal gain boundaries, but he decided this wasn't personal gain. It was for you. So, he orbed to London this morning and picked up your mom."

Anne grinned at her mother. "Orbing is an odd thing isn't it? So peaceful, yet slightly unnerving at the same time."

"Magic, my dear, is an odd thing."

The young bride nodded. "Takes a bit of getting used to."

"More than a bit."

Piper extended a hand to Mrs. Cramer. "I'm Piper Halliwell, Chris'-"

"-mother. Oh my." Mrs. Cramer replied, smiling widely. "I know he is from the future, but a woman as young as yourself being his mother is still just so. . .unbelievable." She took the hand and shook it enthusiastically. "You obviously raised-or rather will raise- a remarkable young man. I am so glad my Annie found him."

"Well, Chris certainly lucked out too. Anne's wonderful."

Anne blushed, embarrassed by the compliment.

Pheobe and Paige both introduced themselves, each getting a compliment from Anne's mother about how beautiful they looked. They each thanked her and remarked how wonderful she looked as well.

It was then that Leo stuck his head in the door. "Uh, guys, we really need to get going. You about ready?"

"Leo, this is Anne's mom, Veronica Cramer. Mrs. Cramer," she gestured to Leo, "this is my husband, Leo Wyatt."

Mrs. Cramer frowned, looking highly confused. "I beg pardon?"

"Mum, this is Chris' dad-Leo. Remember, I told you he was the angel?"

The older woman leaned over to her daughter, whispering. "I thought you said he was dead?"

Anne couldn't help but chuckle as she grasped her mother's problem. Shaking her head she attempted to rectify it. "Well, he is, but he's an angel brought back to life in order to protect innocent people. That's how Chris is part angel."

"Chris is half-dead?"

Paige folded her arms over her chest. "I resent that."

"Chris really wouldn't like it if you said that." Piper replied, trying not to laugh. She'd never thought of her son or her sister as half-dead before and the thought was for some reason highly amusing in her opinion.

Veronica Cramer shrugged. "Well, don't suppose I'll ever understand, but that's quite all right. Mr. Wyatt is probably correct– we should get going, now shouldn't we?"

Piper nodded, leading the way, and guiding their guest with her, all the while talking about their children and how wonderful their union was going to be. Pheobe and Paige followed by them, arguing about whether or not Paige and Chris really were half dead.

The only two people left in the room by the end were Leo and Anne. He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"Before we get to the church, I want to thank you, Leo. It means a great deal to me that you are willing to give me away."

"I'm just sorry your real father couldn't be here."

The elder saw her eyes begin to tear up, and thought he might have said the wrong thing, but when she broke out into a smile, he was completely lost as to what her feelings were at the moment. "Anne?"

"You are more a father to me than my own ever has been, Leo. I wouldn't want anyone else to walk me down the aisle. Really."

The Elder smiled. "I'm honored."

"Now, let's get this wedding started."

000

Chris watched anxiously as everyone was seated. His mother and her sisters along with Mrs. Cramer were in the front row on his left. A few of his family's co-workers and friends were seated behind them. Most of Anne's guests-of which there were only a handful– were on the right side.

It was a nice amount of people, in Chris' opinion. Not too many. Just those that were of some consequence to their lives. People who cared about them. That's what weddings were about. Family and friends getting together to share in the joy of a couple's love. The bond that love creates forged in the law. They didn't need lots of people to do that.

Still, there were a few people Chris wished were present. His brother for one. Granted the toddler version was present, but the brunette witch had always thought that his sibling would be standing by his side as his best man on the day he got married. He also thought his cousins would be around. Melinda would have loved seeing him get married. Unfortunately, she wasn't even conceived yet, so that wouldn't be happening. He was alone.

"Kwis."

Chris was jerked out of his thoughts by his older brother's toddler self. The little boy looked so cute in the little suit their mom had boughten for him. At the moment he was trying to wiggle out of his mother's iron grasp to get to Chris. Which gave the young man an idea...

"Hey, mom. Let him up here."

"Chris?"

The young man grinned. "Who better than Wyatt to be my best man?"

Piper understood. She knew how much Chris longed to have the brother he would never have a chance of having. Knew how much it would have pleased her baby boy for his real brother to be standing next to him, so if having the toddler version there instead helped, then so be it. She looked down at Wyatt and smiled. "Go keep Chris company."

Wyatt grinned and toddled over to stand next to Chris.

"I can't blame you for replacing me with a toddler. He's awfully cute, isn't he?"

Chris smiled at Victor–the previous best man. "Yeah. He is."

"Though so is this one." The grandfather replied, referring to Alex, who was fast asleep in his great grandfather's arms. "And the one over there." Victor said grinning, tilting his head toward Paige, who was holding baby Chris.

The adult version rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Grandpa."

"Anytime, Chris."

The organ started to play. Chris picked up Wyatt and whispered, "here we go."

Time seemed to slow down as the back doors opened to reveal his bride being escorted down the aisle by his father. Anne. She looked so beautiful. Her dress was a sleeveless ivory colored gown that flowed to the floor. It had silver flower detailing on the top hem and the bottom. It was simple but exquisite. When she walked down the aisle toward him in that dress, Chris could have sworn she was floating. He felt like he was floating just looking at her.

When Anne and Leo reached the alter, the young woman kissed Leo on the cheek, then took her place next to Chris. She smiled when she saw Wyatt in her fiancee's arms. She, like Piper, knew what it would have meant to Chris to have his big brother by his side.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to day to join this man and woman in holy matrimony. . ." the minister began.

Chris couldn't believe he was here. Couldn't believe this was really happening. Two years ago, he never would have thought this possible. Two years ago his life was a living hell where his only ray of hope lie in the loving embrace of Bianca. Now, he had Anne. And she had given him Alex, a kind of hope so much brighter than any he had ever known before. He loved her so much for that. Loved her for enabling him to be here at this very moment. In love again. A place he never thought he could reach again. Getting married in front of family members thought gone forever. It was like he was dreaming...only better.

"Do you Christopher Perry Halliwell, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to honor and cherish through sickness and health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Chris watched as Anne let a few tears slip out at those two little words. He gently wiped them away for her. Then it was her turn to answer.

"I do."

The minister smiled, seeing the loving looks in the couple's eyes. "You may now kiss the bride."

The young man leaned down, gently brushing his lips against Anne's. Then, he pulled away, moving to whisper in her ear. "I love you."

Still weepy, Anne looked up into his jade eyes with her ice blue and let out in a breath, "I love you too."

"I would now like to introduce for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Christopher Halliwell."

000

Meanwhile, in a dark lair somewhere in the underworld, Nyru plotted. He had to have the child. The child was the key to destroying the Halliwells and with the destruction of the Halliwells, his place as Source would be cemented. He just needed to be patient. If he waited long enough, they would forget about him. They would become comfortable in their happy little lives, and then he would strike. He would tear their world apart. He would have Alexander Halliwell. Make no mistake about that.

tbc...


	25. Snapshots Version 20

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. As always you guys keep me writing. :)**

**Chapter 25**

**Snapshots Version 2.0**

If his wife knew he was here, she would have killed him. Though, she would have to get in line. Or be faster than his mother, who would blow him up just for worrying her, his father, who would lecture him to death about not putting himself in danger, and his Aunts who would make him feel guilty about not trusting them enough to come with him and watch his back. Yeah, his family would be pretty upset if they knew he was hanging out in a demonic pub. Good thing he was a pro at keeping secrets. They would never know.

Keeping his face down and in as much shadow as possible to keep from getting recognized, Chris observed the patrons, while listening for any conversations involving his family or Nyru. As of yet, no demon had really caught his attention. They all seemed to be off in their own little worlds of evil.

"Hi there. This seat taken?"

The witchlighter raised his eyes to take in the owner of the voice. A young woman, probably in her mid to late twenties with cropped blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. She seemed very familiar. He couldn't for the life of him place where he had seen her before though.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Chris gestured to the chair opposite his at the small, blood stained table. With only mild interest, he watched as the woman settled into her seat, and leaned forward, almost purposely revealing more of her chest to him. Which was hard believe possible considering as her entire wardrobe was leather and all too revealing as it was. Her taste in wardrobe was definitely typical of a demon or dark witch. Maybe she was a demonatrix?

The blonde woman grinned at him. "What's a _good_ guy like you doing in a place like this?"

Trying not to reveal anything in way of his shock at her having picked him out as a good witch so quickly, Chris shrugged nonchalantly. "Where should I be?"

Leaning over to whisper, the woman's eyes flashed dangerously. "With the other whitelighters."

"Who are you?" Chris asked steadily trying to figure out how this woman had outed him. It wasn't as though he had orbed here, or done any good magic. Hell he hadn't even shown his face. There was no way she could have recognized him. Unless maybe she could sense it? That was probable.

"A possible ally."

Chris raised an eyebrow in question.

The young blonde grinned. "You're the one who's been searching for Nyru, right? Well, I'm the last one to have seen him."

Involuntarily sitting up straighter, Chris shook his head in denial of what he thought he had puzzled together. It couldn't be her. It wasn't possible. It sure didn't look like her. Then again, she could make herself look like whatever she wanted. She had seemed familiar. Nononono. Of all the demons to have sat down across from him in this God forsaken demonic pub it had to have been _her_?

Swallowing the fear induced lump in his throat, Chris tried to remain as cool as ever. He couldn't show any sign of weakness. Otherwise she would destroy him. Again. So, narrowing his jade eyes he focused on her bright blue. When he spoke, he used all his will to keep the tremor from his voice. "Cyra, you're looking a little off today. Don't you normally go brunette? It certainly suits you better."

"You've figured it out." The demoness gave him a mock applause. "How very wonderful."

The brunette hardly thought so, but didn't say as much out loud. Instead, he concentrated on getting the information he needed to track down Nyru. After all, his son's safety came before anything else. Including past demons...future demons...whatever. It was a bad sign when time traveling was even starting to confuse him. "What do you know about Nyru?"

Shrugging, Cyra glanced at his half-full glass of beer. "What kind of a whitelighter are you that doesn't even have the common courtesy to buy the informer a drink first?"

"Keep it down." Chris ordered, his voice low and threatening. The last thing he needed was for all the demons in the place to be after him. He was good, but even he couldn't vanquish them all.

"Get. Me. A. Drink."

Rolling his eyes, Chris rose from his chair and ordered another beer from the bartender, an ugly blue skinned demon with three black horns running down his forehead. After receiving the drink, the Halliwell noticed the bartender waiting for some money. Not wanting to seem out of place in a demonic pub, Chris clenched his hand into a fist and watched as the little demon exploded in a fiery vanquish. No one so much as turned their head in his direction. After all, what self-respecting demon would actually be honest enough to pay for something?

Handing Cyra her drink, Chris returned to his seat, watching her anxiously as she downed the bitter liquid in one go. When she had finished, he thought she might be willing to answer his questions. "So what do you know?"

"I know many things." She replied coyly. "Such as that this isn't the first time we've met."

Chris swallowed hard, hoping beyond hope that she wasn't referring to the time he was thinking of. There was no way she could know about that, right? It hadn't happened yet. Then again, Cyra did have the power of foresight. She'd killed a seer and stolen the ability from her. Maybe she had seen it in a vision? If that were the case, Chris would be forced to deal with what she had done to him. He wasn't sure he could.

"I so did enjoy your company, Christopher. You were one of the best lovers I've ever had."

Closing his eyes for just a moment, Chris was surprised when he didn't immediately flash to painful memories, such as the time spent with her before he had known she was a demon...back when she had been posing as a sweet sixteen year old– pretending to be his girlfriend. Didn't flash to any of the horrible things she had done to him when he had discovered her true identity. . .when she had kept him trapped in that cavern in the underworld for an entire week. Hell, he didn't even feel the urge to vomit yet. Relieved at this, the dark haired witch opened his eyes and concentrated on hers. She would not have power over him. Not this time. "You know damn well I never would have touched you if I had known you were a demon. Enough games. What do you know about Nyru?"

Cyra pouted. "What? No, I missed you? Honestly, was I really such horrible company, Little One?" She laughed at her pet name for him, having it thought it clever considering she was well over two hundred years older than him. "Or will I be such a bad lover, should I say? Suppose it hasn't happened yet. Not for me. Though, I look forward to it."

"Where. Is. Nyru?" Chris forced out, trying to fight the sick feeling rising within him at the memories that were now starting to creep up.

"You know, the week you spent at my place was my favorite vision. I especially enjoyed the part where I forced you to slit your own wrists. That was fun. How had I managed to convince you to do that again?" She pretended to think about it. "Oh, right. When I created an illusion of your mother telling you that she blamed you for her death. That she hated you. Wanted you to die. You know, if it weren't for that damn Aunt of yours, you'd be dead right now. Remind me to off Paige before she can heal you this time around."

Chris rose from his chair grasping the demoness by the throat, squeezing it for all he was worth until she was writhing underneath his hold. "Enough! Tell me what I want to know! Where is Nyru?"

"Amulet." She choked out, clawing at his hand, trying to pry it away from her neck.

The young man loosened his hold only slightly. "What amulet?"

"Of Aribella."

Frowning in confusion, Chris tried to puzzle out where he had heard that before. It sounded familiar. He couldn't figure it out. "What about it?"

"Cloak from good magic..." She gasped, her face starting to turn color from lack of oxygen. She had to struggle to continue speaking. "White magic...can't...target what it can't find...no spells...no sensing..."

"How do you know that? Nyru works alone."

"Saw it...on him." She was going to lose consciousness soon. "When h-he...used my lair..."

It sounded legit. So that was how Nyru had managed to escape even Wyatt's magical searching. He was cloaked from good magic. At the time of their search for Nyru in the future, his older brother had only just started to turn, and his magical energies were still for the most part good. With an amulet of that power hiding his presence, Nyru was able to disappear. Now that Chris knew this, he could find a way around it.

Pinning the demoness against the nearest wall, Chris regarded her warily, knowing that she had the power to destroy his mind if he let her live. After all, she had nearly succeeded once before. She would come after him for his attack on her. No doubt. Best not to let her live then.

Besides, it was the least he could do for mini-Chris, so that his first time wouldn't be with a demon, so that he wouldn't get trapped in hell for a week, getting his mind worked over by illusion after illusion. Revenge was just an added bonus.

Lowering his voice so that none of the other patrons could hear him, Chris chanted. "Powers of the Halliwell line, come to me in this place and time. Magic blessed in truth and light, vanquish the Illusionist on this night."

Cyra shrieked as flames engulfed her, sucking her into the pits of hell.

Again no one turned their head in his direction. The murder of one of their own going fairly unnoticed. They were demons. Murder was what they did. However, when Chris orbed out of the demonic pub right after filling his need for revenge on the demon that nearly put him in a strait jacket, _that_ caused quite a stir.

000

_Six months later. . ._

Anne wasn't surprised at what she found when she walked into the kitchen that morning. She was just a little disappointed. Okay. Not just a little. Very. Very disappointed. How could she not be? It was just one more sign that said her marriage was on rocky ground and getting shakier every moment. How could any marriage survive when one partner was uninvolved in it?

Every time he wasn't working at P3, Chris was either missing because he had gone to Magic School to do research on Nyru and that amulet of whatever it was called, at the manor looking through the Book of Shadows, or in the underworld doing God only knows what type of dangerous things to find out where Nyru had disappeared to. The disappearing act had been going on for nearly six months straight, but more so in the last few weeks than ever before. This morning she found a note attached to the fridge in a scribble that only could have belonged to her husband.

_Anne,_

_I think I found a lead on breaking through the amulet's power. Went to check it out. _

_Chris_

Ripping it off the appliance with a fury only a woman can display, the young wife and mother tore the paper into tiny pieces. When there was no possible way to destroy the note any further, Anne marched out into the livingroom, grabbed a pillow from the couch and screamed into it. When that was done, she started pacing. And ranting.

"How could he do this? How could he just keep vanishing without so much as a good morning, Love, best be off to hunt that demon. Tell our son I love him. Be back soon." She let out a growl of frustration. " God, that man is insufferable! He didn't even sign that blasted note 'love Chris'. Oooh, no. He didn't have the time for even that little gesture to remind me that he cares in the slightest! His son won't recognize him if he keeps this up! Poor Alexander. I wonder how long its been since his father held him? I swear to God, if he hurts our son by being so neglectful I will make him rue the day..." she came to an abrupt halt as orb lights filtered down through the ceiling.

Chris appeared a moment later, looking much the worse for wear. His chestnut hair had a light layer of dirt in it, his black ensemble was ripped in several places by what appeared to be claws, and he had large cut on his forehead. Not to mention the lost weight and the deep, dark bags under his eyes.

"Chris, what happened?" Anne asked, her anger replaced by concern for the moment.

The man shrugged. "I wanted information. Korlax demon didn't want to spill. Fight ensued."

Feeling that this was an adequate enough explanation, the witch moved to the fridge to grab a quick bite when he noticed the tiny pieces of paper littering the floor. Frowning he noticed that one piece had part of his name on it. He sighed. "I take it you found my note?"

"Yes. As you can see I didn't much appreciate it."

Chris raised his eyebrows nodding. "Guess not."

Opening the door to the fridge, he pulled out a bucket of leftover fried chicken from KFC that his wife must have had for dinner the night before. Shutting the door and placing his meal on the island in the kitchen, he popped the lid off and grabbed a leg piece out. Just as he was about to take a big bite out of it, he spotted the glare being shot at him. Lowering the poultry he set his hands flat on the island and returned the icy look with one of his own. "What, Anne? Stop staring at me and just say what you obviously want to say."

"You're never here." She replied, her anger starting to return. After all, she was upset and he didn't even seem to care. That warranted rage in her opinion. "Six months of you disappearing during all hours of the day and night is enough. I can't take it anymore. Alex needs you. You are the only father he has. What am I supposed to do, Chris? Assure him that you really do love him by reading him one of those blasted notes?"

Chris shook his head, his own temper starting to flare up. "I would never bail on my family. My father bailed on me. Left me letters in replace of quality time. The fact that you would say I would do that to my son..." he shook his head, too furious with the notion to even vocalize his thoughts.

"When was the last time you held him?" Anne prodded. "When?"

The young man rolled his eyes. "You're being ridiculous. I don't have to answer that."

"What's the matter? Can't you remember!"

"Four nights ago!"

Chris blanched at his own answer. Four whole days and nights without holding his infant son? Had it really been that long? What was next. . . a week? Two weeks? A month? He couldn't believe it. What kind of a father was he that he could be away from his child that long and not even realize it.

The father swallowed hard, shaking his head. Looking up to his wife, his jade eyes were full of shame. "What's wrong with me? How could I do this to Alex? I mean, he's the reason I'm doing this. To protect him. But I never wanted to do it at the cost of being a good father. Being there for him."

It was Anne's turn to sigh. "I know you want to protect him, but you've been obsessed with Nyru for so long that every other aspect of your life is falling apart around you. Can't you see that?"

Chris lowered his head. "It's the mission to save Wyatt all over again. I'm so focused on completing it that I can't have a life. Only this time the mission is to save my son." He looked up to the raven haired woman. "I don't want to be like that again. I don't want to be that man _ever_ again. He was like a machine...unfeeling... the leader of a resistance who was willing to do anything to accomplish the goal."

"Then don't be."

Lowering his eyes, Chris confessed: "I'm not sure I can stop."

"You have to because I cannot and will not live like this." She shook her head, her ice blue eyes brimming with tears. "My career is slipping away because you aren't ever here to watch Alex, so I have to call in sick. I'd ask your family for help, but they've all got their own lives to deal with. My career means a lot to me. I've worked so long and so hard and to watch it slip away is killing me. That's not even the worst part. The worst part is..." She didn't even bother to wipe away the tears that were falling down her face. "I'm lonely. I'm so lonely, Chris. I miss my husband."

Chris moved toward her, reaching out to wipe away her tears.

She pulled away from him, shaking her head. "You can't just make me stop being upset with you with one kind gesture. I'm really hurt, Chris. I gave you all I had to offer...a son, my heart, and my soul, and you shut me out. You don't think I can tell how scared you are? How frightened for our son's future you are? I can. I can tell because I feel your fear. He's my son too. I may not be a witch or have any powers, but can't you let me in at all? Share the burden? I trust you with my life, but it seems clear that you don't trust me to even support you."

"That's not true."

Anne rolled her eyes. "Then why won't you tell me what's going on? Let me help with the researching? Let me do _something_ besides sit around and miss you and worry about our son and about you."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You think that makes this okay? I've asked a thousand times to help. I've begged you not to go and leave me and Alex alone. The answer is always the same. No. I have to do this. What a lovely way to treat someone you supposedly love."

"You know I love you, Anne."

The raven haired woman shrugged. "Who's to say? For the past six months you certainly haven't acted like it. Do realize that it's been four months since we last made love? _Four months_."

Chris winced, guilt slapping him in the face.

Seeing the look of pain on her husband's face, Anne's heart melted. She never could stand seeing him hurt. Not even if he deserved it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into an embrace, her tears falling onto his shoulder. "I love you, Chris. Just let me know that you love me too. Show Alex how much you love him. Don't leave us."

The witchlighter held her tightly, stroking her silky hair lovingly. "I have to protect Alex, but I swear to you, things will change."

"Let me in and I'll help you to fight off the unfeeling man you fear becoming."

Chris pulled back so that he could look into her eyes. No anger remained. Only love. He gently placed his forehead against hers. "We're a team from now on. We'll protect Alex together."

His wife closed her eyes a smile gracing her lips for the first time in a long time. "It's good to have you back."

"I promise you, Anne. From here on out, I'll be the husband you deserve...the father Alex needs."

Anne kissed him before softly replying, "You already are."

000

Chris glanced over at Anne, noticing her fighting to stay awake. He smiled softly while he shut the book he was currently looking through about magic charms. "Anne? Baby, just go to bed. I can finish going through these."

His wife shook her head stubbornly. "No. I'm fine."

After another few minutes of researching, Anne sighed and shut her book. "There is nothing in here about how to break that bloody enchantment. Are you sure the Power of Three won't work?"

"Tried it first thing. Still can't summon or find Nyru, which means that the amulet is still working. Power of three failed."

"Nyru had this amulet in the future–the last time you faced him?"

Chris nodded absently, picking up a different book on charms and amulets. Opening up to a marked page he started skimming through the information. It took moment for him to realize that his wife was waiting for a little more detail than a nod. "Yeah, I assume he did. We didn't realize that's what he was using to hide from us though."

"Do you think Wyatt could break the enchantment?"

Pausing in his reading for a moment, Chris frowned, tossing around the idea in his head before answering. "I don't know. We're talking about some serious magicks. Wyatt is supposed to be the most powerful being to ever walk the planet, true, but he's just a toddler right now. Even if we could get him to say a spell, it wouldn't be as strong as say...a twenty odd year old version of him saying it would be. He still hasn't come into all of his power yet. Won't until he's about eighteen. Besides, I figure if he couldn't out-power the amulet in the future, he probably won't be able to break the enchantment on it now."

Anne shook her head, her frustration evident. "This is preposterous. There has to be a way to break through that enchantment, yet we've been researching for months now, and nothing gives us any clues on how to do it. Well, besides breaking the actual amulet, but in order to do that we would have to find Nyru, and if we could find the bloody bastard we wouldn't need to break the amulet in the first place!"

Chris smiled at her outburst.

"What?" She asked, noticing the look in his eyes. "What do you think is so amusing about all of this?"

"Not amusing exactly...just...appealing."

His wife raised an eyebrow in question. "Appealing?"

"Mmhmm."

Slowly the young husband slipped a hand behind his wife's head, bringing her lips to his. A moment later his hands were running up her sides then back down before slipping under her shirt and returning upwards.

Anne pulled away, frowning in confusion. "You want to do this now? We still have so many books to look through..."

Chris grinned. "I have always found that study breaks help rejuice my battery."

"Study breaks?"

Instead of answering her, he started nibbling on her neck. Slowly moving his way down.

Anne closed her eyes enjoying the sensations he was creating. "Okay. Ooh, that's beautiful. You are really quite good at this, but shouldn't this wait until _after_ we solve this problem?"

"Study break." Chris reminded her before grinning wickedly and moving to a sensitive spot.

"Chriiiiis." Anne sucked in air, trying not to make too much noise. She really didn't want to wake the baby.

Chris looked up at her, his jade eyes twinkling mischievously. "Study break?"

"Oh, yes."

Sweeping her up into his arms, Chris carried her to the bedroom, praying that Alex didn't wake up in the next half hour or so. Luckily for the couple, the child was completely off in the land of dreams, and they were able to make passionate love completely uninterrupted. It was just what they both had needed and when they were done, they lay in each others arms, enjoying the moment. It was nice to forget about the danger for a moment and truly be together again. To be, for just a little while, normal newlyweds who couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other, who's only cares were how to make every moment just as good as the one they were having now.

True paradise.

000

One year went by, and Nyru made no move. The Halliwell's search slowed only slightly. Their lives becoming complicated with raising their children, finding their soul-mates, or just loving the partners they had already found. Paige had met someone special and lost him all in the same year–Kyle Brody. Pheobe learned to love again with the help of a demon turned good named Drake. Their lives were very full with their new love interests. Not to mention the magical complications they had to deal with. Paige running magic school, only to hand the job over to Leo in the end. Avatars tried to take over the world, but were stopped in their tracks rather early on by The Charmed Ones, Leo, Chris and officer Brody, who gave his life for the cause. A clever demon named Zankou tried to take on the nexus and steal the book of Shadows. Chris had put a stop to that when he caught the demon in a trap. The Charmed Ones vanquished him with great satisfaction. When they did have time to search for answers regarding Nyru, no new information could be found. No demons had been in contact with Nyru. No books had any new information on the amulet. Dead ends all year.

The second year passed by in much the same manner. Next generation Halliwells grew both physically, intellectually and magically. Milestones were met with joy from proud parents. Pheobe found love again, getting engaged to a former boyfriend who had returned to her–Jason Dean. Paige too was happy, having been reunited with an old flame thought lost forever– Kyle. Demons came and went, none posing too great a threat, but needing to be dealt with none the less. Life keeping them busy enough all on its own, the search dwindled further.

In the third year, Anne became a full fledged doctor, and Chris became a partner at P3. Pheobe and Jason got married. Paige and Kyle stayed together, their love growing stronger every day. Piper and Leo watched as Wyatt and Chris grew and became stronger in their magic, causing more trouble every day. A demon named Le'tri stole the book of Shadows, wreaking havoc on their happy lives for a week before The Charmed Ones were able to get the book back and vanquish her. The search for Nyru was only kept up by Anne and Chris, and even Anne was starting to think that perhaps it was time wasted. Surely after all these years, Nyru would have attacked by now? Surely.

The fourth year consisted of Pheobe getting pregnant and giving birth to Melinda Pruedence Halliwell, Paige getting engaged, Piper and Leo having a semi-normal existence, and Chris and Anne discovering that Alex wasn't to be an only child. According to the doctor come the beginning of the following year they would be having a little girl. Demons attacked and were vanquished. Life went on, and Nyru still had not made his move. The search had all but ended. Only Chris believed the demon was still a threat, but even he was beginning to become doubtful. Maybe Nyru really wasn't a threat to his family anymore...maybe.

000

_2010_

"Daddy, why does the moon go away during the day?"

Chris glanced up from his potion to see his son's wide green eyes looking up at him from his place at the kitchen table. So, it was going to be one of _those_ days. The 'why' days as Chris liked to refer to them. The young father turned back to the pot on the stove, adding a bit of murdock root to the golden colored concoction. A small explosion occurred followed by a puff of smoke. Now that the vanquishing potion was done the witchlighter turned to his son to give an answer.

"Well, the earth rotates–like this." He gestured with a finger, causing an orange to float up out of the fruit basket on the kitchen table. Once the citrus was in the air, the witch began to make circles with his finger causing the orange to rotate clockwise. "And the moon revolves around the earth–like this." Using his telekinesis he lifted a grape up and started sending it circling around the orange. "Now, see how the grape can't cover all the orange at the same time? The shadow on the orange moves, and sometimes you can't see the grape. You can't see the grape when it's on my side of the orange, right?"

"Yeah."

"That's how the moon works. We can't see the moon all the time because it's on the other side of the planet. Understand?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah."

Lowering the two fruits back into the bowl, Chris let out a relieved breath, glad that he could get his son to understand without the boy having to ask a thousand 'whys' first.

The father turned his back on the little boy, and reached up into the cupboard to get a vile to bottle the potions. When he turned around again to get a ladle from the island's drawer, he noticed Alex staring at him. He had a look in his eyes. Chris recognized that look. Yup, it was going to be one of those days. "Yes?"

"Why can't the grape cover all of it at the same time?"

"It's not big enough."

Alex nodded, seemingly appeased.

Chris turned back to the potion and had the ladle full and was about to pour when Alex's voice halted him.

"Daddy, why is the sky blue?"

Lowering the ladle into the pot and setting down the vile, Chris turned back to his son. Maybe he could end this. Maybe he could stop the incessant 'whys' before he lost his mind. There was one trick he remembered his mother using on him when he was little that might do the trick... "Well, Alex, the sun's light is actually all the colors of the rainbow, and when we look at the sky on a clear day, we see a blue sky because tiny oxygen molecules are scattering the blue light. Did you know that light is actually made up of a bunch of tiny particles called photons? And these photons travel really really fast, and make sort of a wave and-"

"-Okay!"

"And during the night time the sky turns orange because the light from the sun is coming in from an angle and even though the blue light is still being reflected it's at too great a distance to make it to our eyes, so that only leaves red light to be reflected into our eyes. Wanna know why it's red light and not, say...green?"

Alex made a face. "No, Daddy. I really don't want to know."

Chris smiled, quite pleased with himself. "Well, if you ever do want to know, don't hesitate to ask."

"How'd you get so smart?"

"School."

Alex smiled. "I get to start school in a few months. It's gonna be fun isn't it? And I'm gonna be just as smart as you someday."

"Smarter."

Chris felt the demon's presence almost immediately upon it shimmering in. The evil aura was so strong it was making him ill. He turned to find the demon standing directly behind his son, the little boy completely oblivious to the danger. A large, pearly white skinned demon with red eyes, whose forehead bore a tattoo of three scythes. The father flung out his arm, sending the demon flying backwards into a wall. "Alex, orb to the manor!"

Without hesitating, the child orbed out to the safety of his grandparents and cousins'.

"You've played right into his hands. You've grown sloppy."

The witchlighter tried to freeze the demon but was a second too late as the monster shimmered out before he could get a proper hold. Chris swore under his breath, knowing that this was hardly the last he was going to see of that demon. Demons never did give up that easily.

"I hate it when demons are right." Chris shook his head. "I am getting sloppy."

Back in his old time, a demon as pathetic as that never would have escaped with his life. Chris' reflexes were slower, his powers not as finely tuned as they once had been. His stay in a fairly safe and peaceful time were making him lose his edge. That thought terrified him more than words could say. He didn't know why. After all, this was a safer time, why did he have to be perfect?

_You've played right into his hands. His hands._

Chris knew there was significance in those words. If he just gave himself a little time to mull it over it would come to him.

The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Halliwell? This is the hospital calling. Your wife is in labor."

All thoughts of the demon vanished as the news of his daughter's arrival into the world were uttered.

000

Nyru turned to his pale accomplice. "Well?"

"They are all too occupied with their lives. Even the Charmed Brother, Chris, seems to have been lulled into a sense of security."

"You faced him once before nearly seven years ago, did you not?"

The hench-demon nodded. "Yes sir. Had he wanted to kill me then, he could have."

"But now?"

"He's grown weaker in the craft. I left myself open to attack for a half-minute. He was more concerned about his son getting out than finishing me off. The Halliwell's edge is gone, in my opinion."

Nyru smiled darkly. "So the longer I wait, the moreuseless to his family he becomes. Excellent news indeed."

Turning to his follower he sent out an energy ball that caused the other demon to erupt into flames. He stared down at the ashes on the floor. "Nothing personal, but I prefer only my inner elite to know of my plans. Do hope you understand."

"So, you consider me your inner elite?" A woman's voice rang out.

Nyru turned to the young blonde woman and nodded. "Of course, Lynn. You and your daughter, Bianca, are both very special to me. You both play such a huge part in my plans."

"Just keep your end of the bargain, Nyru."

The demon tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Of course. Your daughter will be kept perfectly safe from all demons andwitches, and you will be given the largest payment you've ever received for a target. Perfect arrangement, right?"

Lynn nodded. "In one decade's time, my daughter will become your personal assassin. Blood oath. And you will get whatever you need from her." She stepped forward threateningly. "Just remember, I'll know if you so much as touch one hair on her head."

"I wouldn't dream of hurting her. After all, she is the key to the end of it all."

The pheonix held up her hands. "The less I know the better."

"Of course."

Without another word the dark witch shimmered out of the room, apparently having gotten all the information she had needed.

Nyru couldn't help but get excited as he thought about how perfectly his plan was going so far. "One more decade and I will possess the powers of the Warren witches. Then, I will be the Source, and all power shall be mine."

tbc...

Hmm..didn't turn out quite like I wanted, but oh well. I tried. Let me know what ya think.


	26. Growing up Halliwell

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed it means a lot to me :)**

**Sorry this took so long to get up,but I tried rewriting it several times because it just isn't coming out the way I wanted. I wanted to show the family growing up and evolving and the relationships between everyone, but I needed to move the plot along too Hope this works crosses fingers**

**Chapter 26**

**Growing up Halliwell**

Chris turned to his son, holding out both his hands. In the left was murdock root. In the right was fairy dust. "Okay, Alex, which one of these is the final ingredient for the Awalu vanquishing potion?"

The six year old scrunched up his nose. "Murdock root?"

"Very good." Chris tossed the root into the bubbling violet liquid currently on the stove and watched as it turned to a deep shade of red. Perfect potion.

Alex grinned up at his father, his pride in himself evident. "I'm getting good at this stuff."

"Well, you're good, no doubt...but..." Chris pretended to think for a moment. Then grinned. "An _expert_ would be able to tell me what kind of a fruit can be used to ward off evil."

The little blacked haired boy frowned, thinking hard about all the different things he had learned. Finally, he cracked a smile. "Apples."

"Wow, you are an expert!" Chris grinned ear to ear, then bent down and began to tickle the little boy. "But you can't ward off the tickle demon with apples can you?"

"Daddy!" Alex cried through his laughter.

Anne walked in the room with a tiny two year old baby girl on her hip. "Hey you two. I'm trying to get Emma down for the night. What's with all the noise, Chris?"

Chris whispered to Alex. "Uh oh, I think I'm in trouble now."

Alex laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Mommy's gonna ground you."

"What are we gonna do?"

Alex shrugged.

"Well, since she's still awake you wanna say night to your daughter, Chris?" Anne replied, ignoring the fact her men were conspiring against her. The little curly haired toddler giggled and stretched her arms out toward her father, who took his daughter in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"Night, night, Emma."

"Da-da." The baby girl squealed.

Chris squatted down in front of his son. "You wanna say good night to your baby sister, Alex?"

Alex's face lit up, and he kissed his sister on the cheek then ruffled her brown curls. "Love you, Emma. Night, night."

The blue eyed doll giggled.

"You want me to put her down, hon?" Chris offered, rising to his full height. "You can spend what time Alex has left before bedtime reading him that story you bought this afternoon."

Anne smiled gratefully. "That would be fabulous."

She took Alex's hand and lead him into the livingroom while Chris headed off to the nursery with Emma babbling in baby talk to him the entire way.

After laying her down in the crib, Chris gave her Wuvy, which his mother had given her granddaughter the day she was born, and brushed the hair back off her face. He then proceeded to tickle her forehead and the outside of her ear until her big blue eyes drooped closed and stayed that way.

When his daughter was fast asleep, Chris stared out the window for a moment, thinking about how well Alex had done earlier in his lessons. For the past six months he had been training with his son, helping him gain more control over his powers, and tutoring him on various potions and spells. He was highly impressed with how well his son was doing. Alex was really getting good at summoning fire and putting it out at will, and his orbing was perfect. He just needed to focus more on his sensing and the basic knowledge of witchcraft.

What was truly wonderful about their little training sessions was the refresher course Chris ended up putting himself through in the process. Going back to the beginning was really helping him in his attempts to sharpen his own abilities once more. It wouldn't be long before he was back in his prime and ready to face anything. Including the mysterious He the demon that had attacked six months ago had mentioned. As much as Chris hated to think about it...the He could even be Nyru. So, he swore that he would continue to train Alex, and when she was old enough, his daughter too so that both children would be prepared. If the He was Nyru...he wouldn't stand a chance.

000

Alex glanced over at the youngest of his cousins and shook his head. Why couldn't Wyatt or Chris have been at the manor? Nooo, they had to be at magic school at their advanced telekinesis class, which meant that he had to play with Melinda, who insisted that house was the best game _ever_. He thought it was boring. No flying, no fighting, no magic. Boooring. Instead, he had to pretend to be her boyfriend, which was icky because she was a girl and girls were gross. He didn't ever want to have a girlfriend.

"So, how was your day, Honey?" Mel asked, pouring imaginary tea into a pink plastic cup.

The nine year old shrugged. "Okay. My sister Emma froze my mum. My dad was really upset about it. Mum was freaked when she found out."

Melinda rolled her big brown eyes and put her hands on her hips. "This is make believe. Make something _interesting _up." When he merely frowned in confusion, she sighed. "Like you bought another busy-ness, or that you made a merging of two cor-prations– like my daddy tells my mommy. Or that you love me and wanna go on 'nother honeymoon. Grownups like those."

"But I'm not a grown up." Alex pointed out.

The little girl slammed down the pot full of imaginary tea. "Pretend! Can't you make believe?"

"Um...no?" Alex asked, not quite certain what the right answer should be.

Luckily his salvation from girl world arrived with two sets of orb lights. One set formed into a blonde haired boy with sharp blue eyes, who smiled widely upon seeing Alex present. He threw his bag carelessly into the corner of the room and ran over to hug his little cousin. The other boy, a brunette a couple years younger than the blonde rolled his jade eyes as he saw the plastic tea set and Melinda dressed up in her mother's heels and jewelry. He put his backpack down next to the wall, then folded his arms over his chest and shook his head.

"Wyatt, Chris, I'm so glad you guys are here!" Alex cried exuberantly. After finishing the hug with the blonde, Wyatt, he moved over to hug the younger brother. He paused when he noticed a bruise forming on his dark haired cousin's face. "What happened?"

Chris shrugged. "Oscar Weed thought he could pick on me. You should see what _he _looks like now."

"You got in a fight?" Alex shook his head and frowned. "My Dad would be real mad if I ever got in a fight."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Uncle Christopher? Mad about fighting? Come on. He's the coolest. I bet anything he got into fights all the time when he was in school."

Melinda made a humph sound in the background. When the three boys turned to look at her she was scowling. "Fighting isn't cool. It's bad. You shouldn't ever fight anybody ever." She narrowed her eyes at Chris. "Auntie Piper and Uncle Leo are gonna be real mad when they find out you got in a fight."

"_That_'_s_ true." Wyatt replied giving his sibling a sympathetic look. He shook his head and patted the brunette on the shoulder. "It was nice having a kid brother while it lasted."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm not gonna get in trouble. He started it."

"Doesn't matter." Wyatt replied. "Mom hates it when you get into fights. You're gonna be grounded for at least a week. Probably more because you've gotten into two already this year."

Alex shook his head, grinning. "Bet Aunt Piper is going to blow you up."

Chris glared at him.

"Okay, more tea, Sweetheart?" Melinda shoved a cup at Alex, scowling when he rolled his eyes. "I wanna play some more."

Chris and Wyatt exchanged knowing looks before grabbing their poor cousin and making a mad dash for the front door both calling out to Melinda on the way. "Sorry, gotta go!" "Basketball is calling us." "Love you!" " Bye!"

Melinda sighed and turned to the blonde haired doll she had resting on the sofa. "Boys are dumb."

Meanwhile outside, the three Halliwell boys started shooting hoops, laughing about how poor Alex had been stuck entertaining Melinda by playing tea party.

"She called you sweetheart." Chris laughed as he took a shot that sent the ball straight into the net.

Wyatt snagged it, then took his shot. It bounced off the backboard at an angle and shot off to the left. The older boy frowned. "I could have sworn that was going to go in." He glanced over at Alex. "I think all this talk about your own cousin having a crush on you is what's messing with my game."

"Not funny." Alex replied as he picked up the wayward ball and did a jump shot that made a satisfying swoosh as it found nothing but net. When the ball bounced back to him after hitting the ground, he caught it and then faced his cousins again. "Besides, I wouldn't have gotten stuck if you two had been here to save me."

"He's got a point." Wyatt agreed. "If we'd been home, Mel wouldn't have made him play house."

Chris gave a slight shrug. "Not our problem he can't say no, though."

Wyatt shook his head in disagreement. "I think it is. I think that it's time we did what mom is always telling us to do. Stick together. Family trumps all. I say that as the next generation of Halliwell boys, we make an oath right now, to always stick together no matter what."

"Oath?" Alex questioned.

"Yeah, like a promise that can't ever be broken. With rules and everything." Wyatt added, starting to get really excited. "Like, no girls allowed. We'll save each other from getting stuck with girls. And no matter how old we get that won't change. Oh, and of course we always have to look out for one another– like if somebody needs to get bailed out of trouble with their parents the other two will help."

Alex nodded. "Okay, and we never vanquish demons alone either. Always as a team of at least two."

"And we can tell each other anything. Always honest." Chris added.

Wyatt held out his hand. "All in?"

His cousin placed his hand on top of the blonde's. "I am."

"Me too." Chris replied, adding his hand to the pile.

Wyatt smiled at the two other boys. "Okay, it's official. We are now the brotherhood of the Halliwells. Anyone of us break these rules and the other two can make him suffer."

"Agreed."

"Ok."

"Alex, time to go."

Alex glanced up toward the manor's front doors to find his father standing there with his four year old little sister in tow. The poor little brown haired girl had just woken up from the nap Leo had put her down for and was clutching her blanket in one hand and rubbing her ice blue eyes with the other. In Alex's opinion, Emma was pretty cute...for a girl.

"You're leaving already?" Chris asked as he started pouting at his Uncle. "We didn't even start a real game yet. Can't Alex stay a little longer, Uncle Christopher?"

Christopher laughed at seeing his past self pout. He remembered that look. He had used that look on his mom and aunts soo many times growing up that he had it perfected by the time he was nine. Had all three women completely wrapped around his finger. Good thing he was impervious to his own cuteness. "Don't give me that look. I invented that look." _Literally. _He mentally added.

"Oookay." Chris conceded. He smiled at his cousin. "See ya later, Alex."

"Bye, Chris, I hope Aunt Piper doesn't blow you up. I'd miss you. Bye, Wyatt, remember to keep your promise to the brotherhood. Chris is gonna need all the help he can get when Aunt Piper finds out he got in a fight."

Wyatt grinned. "Don't worry. I'll help him out."

"Chris, I have a tip for you," Christopher started, unable to help himself...well, very able to help himself in this case..depending on how one looked at it. "When your mom starts getting angry, give her your pout in combination with an 'I love you, and I'm sorry to have disappointed you.' It'll soften her up whether she admits it or not. It'll probably save you a week of being grounded."

"Uncle Christopher, how'd you learn to work parents so well?"

The adult grinned. "Let's just say you and I are a lot alike. I got into a _lot_ of trouble when I was a kid."

"Alex." Emma called.

The brother moved toward his father and sister. He glanced down at his sibling, unsure what she had wanted. When she grabbed his hand with her tiny one, he couldn't help but smile. Being a big brother was cool.

"See you boys later, and tell Piper and Leo thanks for watching Alex and Emma."

"Okay, Uncle Christopher. Bye." Both boys replied, almost in unison.

As Christopher and his family went up in a swirl of blue and white lights, the father couldn't help but be curious as to what the brotherhood was that Alex had been speaking of. He'd have to ask him about that later. Alex kept thinking about how he was so lucky to have cousins as cool as Wyatt and Chris. The three of them were going to be best friends for ever. He had no doubt in his mind. Nothing would ever tear them apart.

Oh how naive young minds are...

000

Christopher Halliwell glanced down at his nine year old daughter, not surprised in the least when he saw her big blue eyes looking up at him in a classic pout. He shook his head at her smiling before lifting his jade eyes up to face his wife. "I think our daughter wants to go see her cousins."

"You think?" Anne replied, rolling her eyes. "She's only been asking to go to the manor for what...?" She pretended to think. "Two days straight now, right?"

Alex, who was seated at the table doing his math homework, lifted his head up, excitement clear in his light green eyes. "We're going to the manor? Please say we are. I haven't seen Chris or Wyatt for nearly two weeks. That's waaaay too long a time to be separated from my best friends."

"You go to school with them. You see them everyday." His father argued through his smile.

"Chris said he was going to help me with my free throws. Plus, track season is starting soon, and we want to train together." Alex continued undaunted. "And Wyatt wants to show me how to orb other stuff. He thinks if I work hard enough I can develop t.k through my orbing ability. That'd be sooo cool because then all the Halliwell boys would have telekinesis. Pleeeeeaaase, can we go?"

Emma looked up at her father through her thick black lashes, while her brown curls fell into her bright blue eyes. She looked the part of an angel in Chris' eyes. Which his daughter of course knew. "Daddy, can we please go? I wanna bake cookies with Auntie Piper."

Chris sighed and glanced over to his wife. "Well, how does spending your one day off with my family sound?"

"Well, if it makes the children happy, why not?" Anne shrugged. "Besides, I need to speak to Piper and Pheobe about Paige's baby shower."

Alex and Emma exchanged high fives before both going up in a swirl of bright blue light.

"We have a car for a reason you two!" Chris rolled his eyes. "Though, at this point I don't know why..."

Anne laughed and wrapped her arms around her husband, resting her head on his chest. "We're pretty lucky aren't we? Our kids are amazing."

"Well," Chris started, gazing into his lover's eyes, "They come by it honestly."

Lowering his lips to hers, Chris was just starting to deepen the kiss when he heard his son's voice in his head calling for them to hurry up and join them at the manor. The witchlighter groaned and broke the embrace. When his wife gave him a questioning look, he sighed. "Our son is calling."

"I see." Anne grinned, realizing exactly how mood-killing that must be for her poor partner. "Well, then, let's go."

Wrapping his arm around the petite woman's waist Chris orbed them both to the manor, arriving in the attic. When they materialized it was to something Chris had not expected. A demon attack. His mother was blowing up minion after minion with just the flick of her wrists. Alex was using his power to protect Piper from fire balls by using his own ability to put them out, so that she could concentrate on just blowing up the assailants. Wyatt was protecting Emma, who hadn't developed any offensive powers yet. Chris' teenage self was using telekinesis to slam one demon into a wall, then toss a broken table leg into another. By the time adult Chris even moved to attack one himself, they were already taken care of, save one, who before being taken out by Piper, yelled, "The day of the Shadow has almost come."

Piper snorted. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before."

"Everyone okay?" Christopher asked glancing around the room to check out all the kids. Each seemed perfectly fine.

Alex plopped down on the trusty sofa and grabbed his head. "Stupid draining power."

"You over extended yourself, Alex." Wyatt replied, lowering his shield and moving over to sit next to his cousin. "I've told you a thousand times that you have to be careful about how much magic you use in short periods of time. Same thing happens with my shield if I keep it up too long."

Chris grinned at the other two teenagers. "That is why my powers are cooler than yours.

Emma reached up and took her father's hand. "I couldn't help again." She looked near tears.

"Your power is very special in its own way." Christopher said softly, cupping her round face with one hand. "I bet you're the one who prepared everyone for the attack. You had a vision that allowed Wyatt to get his shield up around you and Alex to protect your aunt Piper before the demons had a chance to hurt someone, right?"

The little girl nodded. "Yeah, I saw the demons in a vision, and warned everyone."

"See, you helped in a big way. You stopped your family from getting hurt."

A wide smile slowly crept onto the girl's face. "I did, didn't I?"

Wyatt nodded. "Hell yeah you did."

Piper shot him a glare. "Watch your mouth, Wyatt Matthew Halliwell."

"I meant, heck yeah."

"That's better."

Alex chuckled. "She used your full name."

"Shut up, Alex."

Chris started to snicker. "Heh, Twice Blessed King Arthur got smacked down by mommy."

"Shut up, Chris."

"Wyatt, stop telling people to shut up. Chris, Alex, stop picking on your brother and cousin." Piper ordered.

Christopher smiled, glad that he was no longer on the receiving end of that tone.

"You guys, what were those marks on their foreheads?" Anne asked, already flipping through the Book of Shadows to see what she could find about the attackers. She really was like a duck to water when it came to being part of a magical family. Chris loved her even more for that.

Emma frowned, scrunching up her nose as she tried to pull her vision back to her mind's eye. "It looked like the thing Death always carries around on the holo-vids. That pole with a knife on it."

Wyatt shot a confused look to his younger brother, who merely shrugged, equally at a loss as to what their little cousin was referring to. Therefore, Chris turned to shoot a confused look to Alex, who gave the same lost shrug that Chris had before him.

Piper looked to Christopher. "Pole with a knife?"

After a moment to think it over, Christopher remembered something he had long ago forgotten about. On the day of Emma's birth a demon with a tattoo on his forehead had attacked Alex. He hadn't really thought much about that particular minion. He'd tried to track him down, but was unsuccessful. But the pole with the knife could be his daughter's way of describing a scythe, much like the three tattooed on the demon's forehead that had attacked him nine and a half years ago. "I think she means a scythe."

"That could be it." Anne agreed, flipping through the pages even faster now.

Chris moved to his aunt's side at the book. "Allow me."

Raising his hands over the book, he telekinetically flipped through the pages. When the entire book had been gone through from end to end, he shut it and looked up at his Uncle. "Nothing matched any scythe tattoos. Sorry, Uncle Chris."

"He said the time of the Shadow was nearing." Christopher muttered to himself. "Does that mean He is about to show himself?"

Piper frowned. "He who?"

Chris shrugged, unsure. "I don't know, but we better all prepare for it. I have a feeling this isn't something to be taken lightly. Someone is up to something."

"Yes," Piper agreed, "but who and what are they up to?"

"That's what we have to find out."

000

Why was it that demons never invested in electricity? Or actual homes? Seventeen year old Chris Halliwell could never figure that one out. Every demon he had ever come across always resided in some dark, dank cave just one level up from hell. The Vintok Demon's lair was no different. Well, aside from the green goo everywhere. That was a little different, he supposed. Not an improvement, but different.

Keeping against the wall to avoid being seen before he was close enough to hit the dark haired demoness with the vanquishing potion, Chris inched slowly forward toward the unsuspecting woman. Just another yard and he would be able to vanquish her before she had a chance of turning into the slime monster and smothering him to death or seeping out one of the cracks and getting away. Just one or two more feet then. . ._CRACK_.

Hearing the cracking underneath his foot, Chris glanced down, noticing for the first time the skeleton sprawled out in front of him next to the wall. He had just stepped on the deceased's foot, which had cracked in two. The witch winced. Maybe if he was lucky the demon hadn't heard the crack?

A glob of green muck suddenly covered his face, preventing him from seeing and breathing. It was also slightly acidic based and started to heat up and burn almost immediately upon contact with his skin. He orbed it off his face, flinging the slime into the wall of the cave, but was about to get hit with a new ball of goo when suddenly it was engulfed in flames and melted into nothingness.

Chris turned in surprise to see who had done it. He grinned as he saw his cousin standing to his left, his emerald eyes narrowed in anger. Then the older teen realized that Alex wasn't looking at the demon with such fury...he was looking at him. Oh, crap.

Deciding to deal with his irate cousin later, Chris gestured with his hand to send the dark haired demon flying into the wall. She smacked into it with a force so strong that the cave shook.

Just as the older boy was about to throw the vanquishing potion, the demon transformed into a puddle of green and started toward one of the many cracks. Alex flicked his hand sending a spit of fire in the demon's path. The Demon hissed in fear, retreating toward a different escape route. Alex closed his eyes, concentrating, then in a mere moment, the demoness was set on fire, her shrill cry of pain dying in the air as she was consumed by the bright red and orange flames.

"Nicely done."

Alex glared at him. "What the bloody hell were you thinking? Since when do we vanquish demons alone, Chris? We all made an oath-"

"-an oath which also said no girls. I recall that being amended as soon as Wyatt fell for Ashley Yin. That was what? A year after the oath was taken?" Chris rolled his eyes in annoyance. He then grinned smugly. "Besides, you weren't complaining about changing the rules when I caught you all over Rachel Webb."

"That's different. This rule is about safety and watching each other's backs."

"It was just this once."

Alex shook his head, letting a sigh escape his lips. Something about the way Chris was acting had him very worried. It was like he thought he didn't need anybody else. Sure, his cousin had always been independent, but lately he was getting a little reckless. "Chris, what's going on? Why are you off chasing demons anyway?"

"You really want to do this here?"

The younger boy shrugged. "Why not?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm thirsty. Let's grab a drink, and then we'll talk."

Alex eyed him suspiciously. "Where did you have in mind."

Fifteen minutes later.

"This is a _demonic bar_, Chris." Alex hissed eyeing the patrons nervously from his place in a booth across from his cousin.

Chris shrugged. "So? It still serves beverages."

"Aunt Piper is seriously going to blow you up for this one. She'll probably blow me up too for even going along with this for a millisecond. Then, she'll tell my dad and he'll orb my ass into a volcano."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Uncle Christopher won't ever have to know."

"He always knows, Chris. He knew when you and I were trapped in the Gorgon lair, and saved us right before ripping us a new one for going to the underworld alone. He knew when you and me and Wyatt used glamours last month to try to get into a nightclub, and busted us to Aunt Piper and my mom. He even knew when we three summoned a Miss Right. Do you remember how long we were grounded for? My dad knows all the tricks in the book, Chris. If he can't sense us, he'll know where to look."

"Uncle Christopher knows all the tricks in the book because he used them all himself once, which means he'll be sympathetic to our plight. Uncle Chris is cool like that." Chris argued. "Just calm down. Have a drink if you think that might help."

Alex sighed. "I give up. Hand me a beer."

Handing over the bitter drink he had been sipping on, Chris let out a breath. Making sure to keep his voice low so that no demon could hear, he spoke. "You want to know why I'm in the underworld alone, hunting demons?" He locked eyes with Alex. "It's because of what Emma keeps seeing in her visions. I need to find out if the threat is real or not."

"My dad and the Charmed Ones are already taking care of it, Chris. Have been since that attack six months ago...the one with the tattooed demons."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Oh, so I should just sit back do nothing? That demon you just vanquished? She had the scythes tattooed on her wrist. It must mean allegiance to some upper level bad, who is after us. I was going to send a message to the boss by killing as many of his underlings as possible. A message that said, don't mess with us. That way Emma's vision about our family being killed won't happen."

"This isn't just about that, is it? You know as well as I do that the adults can handle the big bad. This is about Wy." Alex probed. "This is the first time in all our lives that you, me and Wyatt aren't together nearly every day. He's gone off to college and you're pissed he left you behind."

Chris took his drink back and took a swig. He slammed it down on the counter. "I'm almost eighteen. What do I care if he's gone? We aren't kids anymore. I don't need big brother looking out for me 24/7. Never have."

"Sure. That's why you brought us to the bar you and Wyatt used to sneak off to all the time last year. Because you don't miss him."

The older teen looked up. "I don't."

"Yes, you-"

A loud crash interrupted Alex's sentence. Both boys glanced up in time to see a demon stand up from a table that had apparently broken his fall. The large Kazi demon glared down at whoever it was that had attacked him. He powered up an energy ball and grinned darkly as five more of his kind surrounded the one who had attacked him.

Chris turned his attention away, muttering under his breath. "No wonder demons can't succeed in killing us. They're too busy killing each other."

"Chris, look."

The older teen turned his head back around and saw that the demons were advancing on their prey, one tossing what appeared to be a female demon into a wall, as a few threw energy balls at her, one of which seemed to hit its mark as the woman screamed in pain.

"Why am I watching this?" Chris asked.

Alex turned worried jade eyes on his friend. "She's not a demon. Can't you sense it?"

"Oh crap. A witch."

Without another word, both boys were up out of their booth and ready to aid their fellow witch. Chris gestured with his arm sending two demons up off their feet crashing head first over the bar. Alex summoned fire into his hand and threw it out towards another of the demons, watching as it went up in flames. One of the last two Kazi's tossed an energy ball at Chris, who orbed out to avoid getting hit, and reappeared behind the demon. Snatching an athame off a nearby demon he plunged it into the Kazi's heart, ending its life. He tossed the athame back to its owner. "Thanks."

"Orbing witches...they're Halliwells!" A Demon cried causing most others to shimmer or flame out of the bar, knowing that messing with them meant certain death. Those that stayed behind watched with mild interest, hoping that one of the brats would die.

Alex winked at the last Kazi. "Want to cause your king some more pain, or are you going to be good and leave now?"

The Kazi was gone in the blink of an eye.

Chris was already at the young woman's side, helping her up. The energy ball had hit her square in the shoulder. It was probably pretty painful, but not life threatening. He looked her over, checking for any other injuries she might have received. However his eyes got more than they had anticipated.

She had a sexy body covered in blue jeans and a tight blue sweater, and a face with olive skin, ruby red lips and dark brown eyes that seemed to hold mystery beyond the teenager's comprehension. When she looked into his jade eyes, he felt part of his heart and soul open up to her. It was love at first sight. Not the type movies portray, no that's lust at first sight. This was deeper. This was kismet. She was his destiny. He felt it in every fiber of his being. He just didn't know why...at least not yet.

The young woman smiled demurely. "Thanks for the help. I guess I took on more than I could handle."

Chris found himself grinning like an idiot at the mere sound of her voice. Sultry yet sweet...oh, he was in deep. "No problem."

"Yeah, not a prob-" Alex halted mid-sentence as he turned around and laid eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was an angel. She had to be. Such beauty can't reside in mere mortals. "-lem." He swallowed, finding his tongue suddenly too big for his mouth. Which had gone dry of course.

The dark haired woman grinned. "So, who are you guys? I'd like to know who I'm thanking for saving me."

"I'm Chris." He extended a hand, reveling in the feel of her hand in his, even if it had only lasted a few moments. It had felt right to have her petite hand in his. Unbelievably right.

Chocolate brown eyes locked with jade for a moment that lasted an eternity. "Thank you, Chris. It's nice to meet you, even under the circumstances."

Alex blinked and swallowed trying to find his voice. "Al-Alex."

"Alex? Thank you too." The woman replied, extending her hand to him. He didn't respond, too nervous to get his brain and arm to cooperate. Her lips curled up in an amused smile at his hesitation. "I don't bite." She shrugged. "Hard at least."

Chris chuckled.

Alex shook his head to clear it, then took her hand, smiling at her. "Sorry. Lost my head for a minute."

"Don't worry about it."

Chris glanced around the bar, wondering how long the demons would stay merely observing before they got antsy and decided to see if enough of them fought if perhaps they could kill a Halliwell witch or two. "It isn't safe to stay here any longer than we have. We should get back to the manor."

"Definitely." Alex agreed. He then frowned, turning a curious look on their new friend. "Why were you down here anyway?"

"I'm looking for a demon named Nyru. He killed my mother."

Chris instinctively put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Wait. Nyru? My dad knows all about that demon. He was hunting him for years before I was born, and still would give his left arm to vanquish him, if he could find him. I bet he'd be willing to work with you and tell you anything he knew."

Chris nodded. "My Uncle is the best when it comes to tracking demons." He turned to Alex. "He's at the manor with Aunt Anne and Emma right? Family dinner night tonight. Everyone should be there sooner or later."

"Yeah, should be."

Chris turned to the young woman. "You can come with us, have some dinner and then my Uncle Chris can tell you anything he knows about Nyru." His eyes focused intensely on hers. "Don't worry. That demon will pay for what he did to your mom."

Alex noticed the demons start to shimmer and flame back in and those that had stayed behind in the first place had reached their patience maximum. Halliwells or no, they would risk a fight soon. "Guys, we need to go. Right. Now."

The woman turned to Chris, a strange glint in her eyes. "Have we met before?"

Before Chris could answer, Alex interrupted. "Seriously, we need to leave now." An energy ball flew past his head. "See!"

Just as the trio prepared to orb to the manor, the woman looked first at Chris, then at Alex. "By the way, in case you were wondering...the name's Bianca."

Tbc...


	27. Bad Timing

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! You all make my day and keep me going. Thanks!**

**CHAPTER 27**

**Bad Timing**

With her trusty oven mitts on, Anne reached into the oven to pull out the moist chocolate cake she had just made for the family dinner. Granted it had been Chris' recipe and her darling husband who had given her the helpful hints about how much to mix it, what temperature to set the oven and when to take it out, but she had been the one to do the actual hands on work, so she was going to tell her ex-chef of a mother-in-law that she had indeed made the dessert.

As she started reaching for the frosting, she heard Chris cough in the background. She turned around and raised an eyebrow. "All right then. Out with it. What am I doing wrong now?"

Chris glanced up from the gray covered book he was flipping through and reddened as he realized what he had done. He looked sheepishly at the cake. "You should wait for it to cool before you put on the frosting." He shrugged, trying to seem indifferent about the matter. "But you don't have to. I mean, I'm sure it will be fine if you do it now."

"Says the man who looked ten seconds away from jumping out of his seat and doing the whole thing on his own." Anne grinned, shaking her head. "You can't stand this can you? Me trying to do this without you raising a finger, knowing that your mum is going to be tasting it. It's killing you."

The witch shook his head. "No way. You're a good cook. No worries."

"Your mum hates my cooking. I know it. You know it. Every time she's been over for supper, she always seems disappointed when I make the meal. That's why you've always handled the food for the big family dinners. Am I wrong?"

Chris winced, knowing his wife had a point. He _had_ always been the one to prepare everything for the big family get-togethers. Ever since the kids were little. That was over a decade of him taking care of it. It was nothing against his wife's ability to cook. Not at all. She really was a good cook. It's just that with Piper Halliwell. . .good isn't really good enough. She was always disappointed when Anne cooked. To be honest, Chris was afraid of Anne getting her feelings hurt once again when his mother plastered on that horrible fake smile and lied through her teeth about how good something was.

"Dad?"

Saved by the kid! Chris turned around to see what his daughter had wanted. "Yes, Emma?"

The curly haired child smiled sweetly, batting her thick black lashes for all they were worth, gazing up adoringly with her big blue eyes. "Can I please orb to the manor? Please?"

"We're leaving soon enough."

Emma tilted her head, her smile faltering into a slight pout. "But Alex is already there. He and Chris were hanging out all day. I just want to spend a little more time with them and Melinda. Please, Daddy?"

"Well..."

Rolling her eyes, Anne watched as her big bad demon hunting husband melted before her eyes, undone by a ten year old girl. She had to stop herself from laughing as Chris nodded his head and told Emma to go and have a good time. She snickered. "You are sooo pathetic."

"Oh, as if you can say no to Alex?"

Anne shrugged. "I can." She smiled as Chris gave her a disbelieving look. "Ok, you may have a point. We are both highly pathetic."

Reaching over for the frosting, Anne noticed Chris eying her again, and she let out a frustrated breath. "Oh, for pity's sake. You do it then!"

Chris rose from his seat, moving slowly toward his wife. When he reached her side, he paused, a grin forming on his lips as he took her appearance in. Her black hair tossed into a messy ponytail. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a fit black cotton t-shirt. Just as plain as she ever was around the house, but positively delectable. "No...I was just thinking. We have the house to ourselves for a change. Not to mention that my parents aren't expecting us for another half hour."

Anne quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Chris dipped his finger into the frosting. He then glanced down at his finger, pretending to be thoughtful. "Hmm...do you think we need all of it for the cake?"

"I like the way you think."

Just as the couple leaned in for a passionate kiss, a demon appeared, tossing an energy ball that would have hit Anne in the head had Chris not frozen it, then t.k.ed it into the wall. He then turned to the demon and flicked his wrists, speeding up the molecules and effectively blowing up the intruder, who screamed in agony as he went up in a burst of fire.

"Do demons just instinctively know when a bad time to attack would be?" Chris muttered bitterly. When he turned around in hopes of rekindling the moment, he found Anne starting to frost the cake. He groaned. "The moment is dead and gone, isn't it?"

"Yup." She looked up from the cake and shrugged. "Not really in the mood to be romantic after a demon tries to take my head off." She held out the chocolate frosting covered spatula. "You can lick the frosting off_ this_ if it helps."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Oh joy." He shook his head. "If that demon were still alive, I'd kill him a little extra for his miserable timing."

000

Emma orbed into conservatory of the manor to find something she hadn't quite expected. Her cousin Melinda...and a boy...on the love seat. She wrinkled up her nose as the two teenagers went about their business completely unaware that they had company. Emma shook her head and muttered under her breath. "Guess it's a bad time, then."

She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen where she knew she would find her Aunt Piper busy preparing the feast that was to be the Halliwell family's dinner. "Hi, Auntie Piper. Hope you don't mind I'm early."

"Not at all, Sweetie." Piper replied, not entirely surprised by Emma's appearance. It seemed like the kids were always orbing back and forth between the manor and Chris's place. They couldn't stand being away from each other for very long. Over the years, all four parents just got used to the kids appearing at random in their homes.

"Whatcha making this time?" Emma asked, standing on her tip toes to look into a large frying pan.

Piper spooned up a bit of red-orange sauce and tasted it. She frowned, and then handed the spoon to her granddaughter. "Is this too spicy?"

Emma stuck the contents in her mouth, let it set on her taste buds for a moment, swallowed then replied. "No. It needs a little more salt though."

"Good, girl." Piper replied, quite pleased. "I thought so too." She grabbed the salt shaker and shook a small amount into the sauce. "I am making blackened chicken topped in mushrooms and mozzarella over spinach noodles with my special Cajun sauce."

"Oooh, sounds good."

Piper paused in her preparation to face the little girl lifting an eyebrow in question. "Why aren't you hanging out with Melinda?"

Emma shrugged. "She's busy. Besides, I love cooking with you. I can help if you want."

The eldest Charmed One was about to gush about how much she loved cooking with all the kids, Emma and her cousin Chris especially, but paused as she realized what her grandchild had said. She frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "Busy with what?"

"Melinda Pruedence Halliwell what do you think you're doing!"

Piper raised her eyebrows as Pheobe's voice cut through the air. She pulled a face and glanced at Emma. "Ooh, _busy_. Gotch ya."

Both grandmother and granddaughter winced as Pheobe's voice kept getting louder and more angry.

"This isn't even your house! How'd he get in here? You know, it doesn't even matter. Making out on your aunt's love seat? That's just so wrong! And disgusting! We're here for a family dinner, not so you can sneak baggy pants boy under my radar and make kissy-face with him! Now, get your rear in that kitchen and apologize to your aunt for not respecting her home. Now, Melinda!"

Melinda trudged into the kitchen, her long dark hair falling into her face as she glowered at her mother from the corner of her blue eyes. When she reached Piper, she folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. "Sorry about Brian." She focused her wrath on her mother once more. "Though, I wouldn't have to sneak him in here if my mom weren't so neurotic about having him at our place."

"If he weren't a drug using player, and you didn't keep going too far with him I wouldn't have to ban you from seeing him. Now, get upstairs. You can wait in Wyatt's old room until dinner starts." Pheobe ordered, sick of the lip.

The teenager rolled her eyes again before marching past her mother and stomping up the stairs.

Brian poked his head into the kitchen, looking sheepish. . .and slightly high. "Uh, sorry about the...uh...whatever we did wrong. No harm done, right?"

"Just go home, Brian." Pheobe replied acerbically.

The young man nodded then slipped out the door.

Piper turned an amused glance at her sister, trying hard not to out right laugh. "Gee, does she remind you of someone, Pheebs?"

"I was never that bad."

Her sister raised her eyebrows.

Pheobe pulled a face. "Okay, so maybe I was. I don't know how Grams put up with me. Because Mel may be my daughter but sometimes. . ." She shook her head. "This single parent thing sucks."

"When is Jason getting back from Hong Kong this time?" Piper asked, stirring her sauce, while keeping an eye on Emma as she chopped the mushrooms.

"Two weeks. I swear I'm going to go stark raving mad."

The jingle of orbs cut the conversation short as Wyatt appeared with a large blue bag full of laundry in tow. He smiled at his mom and kissed her on the cheek. "Hi, mom." He then put an arm around his aunt. "Hey Aunt Pheebs."

"Wyatt, wow, it's been awhile. College must be keeping you pretty busy, huh?" Pheobe asked.

"The amount of work they assign everyday should be illegal." Wyatt turned to his cousin. "Hey squirt. My mom put you to work, did she?"

Emma shrugged, not really thinking too much of it being as she had offered, and it was fun. "Yeah."

Wyatt shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. "Mom, shame on you. There are laws against this sort of thing."

"Hey, she volunteered."

The young man put an arm around his baby cousin, smiling widely at the tiny girl. "How about you un-volunteer, and I check to make sure Alex and Chris have done their job in teaching you how to shoot hoops with the best of them. One on one. You versus me. What do you say?"

"You're going down."

Tossing his laundry down the attic stairs, Wyatt then chased after his little cousin as she bolted toward the front doors and into the driveway.

Pheobe shook her head. "How is it that everyone else's kids are perfect little angels?"

"Well, Paige hasn't had hers yet. I bet our niece is going to be a hellion." Piper grinned. "They seem to take after their parents, after all."

"Oh, so that's why Chris is still so neurotic." Paige's voice commented as a cluster of orb lights filtered in through the ceiling to reveal a heavily pregnant Charmed One.

After she had waddled over to the table and taken a seat, Paige continued. "Speaking of Chris, I think I recall a favorite brother-in-law of mine telling me that our little nephew isn't exactly a perfect angel."

Piper rolled her eyes. "We knew that already. Or do you not recall all the crap he did in 2004? It's a good thing he is my son otherwise I'd have killed him."

"Good to feel loved." Chris replied as he and Anne materialized.

"You guys really have _great_ timing." Pheobe commented, shaking her head. "Seriously, it's like everyone with the ability to orb just knows exactly when their presence can complicate a situation or conversation."

"As for me loving you," Piper began, ignoring her sister, "you know I do, but you also know that some of the things you did really _really_ pissed me off."

"Fair enough."

As was tradition, Chris hugged each woman hello, however the man paused after he had greeted Paige. The younger witchlighter shook his head. "Still can't believe you want to name the baby Pearl. You realize she hates that name when she grows up right?"

"Really?" Paige asked, looking concerned. "Kyle wasn't sure about it..."

Having set down the chocolate cake, Anne turned around and swatted her husband playfully on the shoulder. "Be nice."

"I am always nice." Chris replied.

"Uh huh."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Fiine. Pearl likes her name." He cast a mock angry look at his wife. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic."

Paige scowled in her nephew's direction. "I'm going to get you back for that. You aren't going to know when. You aren't going to know how. I swear it's coming though, Buster."

"Where is Kyle?" Piper asked, cutting in.

The pregnant witch sighed dramatically. "With a charge. Don't know when he'll get back."

"Well, I made enough food for him, so if he doesn't show up in time, you can take it home with you, and he can have it later."

Anne gestured to the cake. "And a piece of the cake I made."

She watched Piper's reaction, wondering what it would be. It was no secret she wanted to impress her mother-in-law, after all, Anne was the woman who had 'stolen' her little boy. Her cooking should be perfect. So, when Piper merely smiled at Chris, Anne was slightly relieved.

The young woman moved over to the table to join Paige and Pheobe, who was talking to her sister about the pain of childbirth. A subject that seemed to come up a lot lately with the youngest Charmed One's due date getting closer and closer.

As soon as his wife was out of ear shot, Chris moved to stand next to his mother. "What was that look you shot me for?"

"What look?" Piper asked innocently.

Chris gave her a pointed look. "Mom..."

"She cooked it?" She whispered with obvious disappointment.

"She's a good cook."

Piper glanced over at the cake, studying it. "It seems edible."

Chris folded his arms over his chest and gave her a skeptical look. "Edible?"

"Well, let's face it honey, no one can compare to my baby boy when it comes to cooking." She beamed with pride. "You really could have been a chef, you know."

"As you mention every time I see you as of late. I'm starting to think you want your shares in P3 back."

Piper rolled her eyes. "No. I just think that it would make you happier than managing the family club."

Choosing to ignore her comments about his career choices, Chris changed the subject, lowering his voice to further ensure his wife didn't overhear. "Just be generous about the cake ok? I don't care if it tastes like mud. She really worked hard. Anne just wants your respect when it comes to cooking. After all these years, you've never really liked anything she's made when you came to our place. Hence, why I usual make the dish when we have the big family events. Just...remember, she tried her best."

Piper smiled up at her son, her brown eyes soft. "You're a good husband."

"I try."

Pheobe's voice suddenly rose up from the table, really starting to get into the conversation. "Oh, and when you finally get to push, it's like you can't stop. Your body just kind of goes all on it's own. It's the weirdest feeling. Don't worry though. It's not bad. The bad is just as the head and shoulders try to get out. I swear after Mel was born I couldn't walk straight for a couple days."

Chris made a face and shot a disgusted look at the three women at the table, focusing mainly on Pheobe. "Is this really good dinner time discussion? Or can we change the topic, _please_."

"Chris?" Anne called from the table. "Isn't Alex supposed to be here? Pheobe says she hasn't seen him yet."

Chris closed his eyes, searching for the aura that was his son's. At first he couldn't pick up on anything, but then suddenly, he could feel his oldest child's presence in the attic. "He's up in the attic. Want me to go get him?"

"No, that's ok. I'll go tell him that dinner is about ready."

As Anne was heading out of the kitchen, Piper called out. "If Chris is with him, could you tell him too?"

"Sure."

Leo walked in from the livingroom, a large smile plastered on his face. "Did I just hear that dinner is about ready?"

Chris chuckled. "Just in time, Dad. You missed all the wonderful discussion on childbirth, though."

"Oh, did I? That's a shame." Leo replied, winking at his son.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, wise guy. In that case, you can go get Wyatt and Emma. They're playing basketball in the driveway. Have them clean up a bit before they sit down, would ya? Oh, and then stop by Wyatt's room and get Melinda. We'll have dinner as soon as all the kids are here."

"Hmm...wonder if we'll actually get through this dinner without a catastrophe occurring." Paige wondered out loud. "It's been a while since we've had a normal family dinner. Something is bound to go wrong."

Piper narrowed her eyes at her baby sister. "Bite your tongue. Nothing is going to go wrong. The tattooed demons haven't shown their faces for a while. Emma hasn't had her premonition of doom for over week. What else could possibly go wrong?"

Chris and Paige exchanged worried looks.

000

Anne reached the attic door and smiled as she heard her son and his younger cousin's voices from within seemingly bantering back and forth about something. It seemed those two were always fighting over this or that nowadays– not unfriendly fighting– just a family kind of bickering. She had to shake her head at them for doing so. Most of the time things they bickered about were so trivial.

She put her hand on the doorknob, about to turn it when she heard another voice...a woman's voice come from within the attic. Was Melinda up here with the boys? Lately Pheobe's daughter wasn't getting along with her male cousins. It would be strange if she were with them. Anne turned the knob, wanting to know for sure who was with the boys.

As she entered the attic, Anne saw Chris' past self at the Book of Shadows telekinetically flipping through the pages. Alex was next to him saying that it would just be faster to ask his father what he knew. Then, the mother saw the owner of the mystery voice. A young woman in her early twenties with long, dark brown hair, a body most women would kill for, and a heart shaped face with two large chocolate brown eyes as the focal point. Those eyes seemed so mysterious, and because of this, Anne immediately didn't trust her. No one with so many secrets hidden in their eyes could be trusted completely.

"Um...hi?" The young woman spoke, being the first to notice Anne's arrival in the attic.

Chris and Alex raised their heads from the Book of Shadows at the same time. Alex smiled at his mother, and gestured to the young woman. "Don't worry, Mum, she's a witch. An innocent Chris and I are trying to help."

"Hello." Anne returned, forcing a polite smile to her lips. Something about this all seemed so wrong. She just didn't know what. "I'm Anne Halliwell."

The dark haired beauty smiled and extended a hand. "I'm Bianca."

It should have rung a bell. A warning siren should have gone off in Anne's head. It just simply didn't cross her mind to connect this girl with another Bianca she had heard of many times before, one who had once meant the world to her husband. If she had thought about it at all, Anne would have realized that her world could possibly crumble around her in any given moment. However, the idea of the Bianca her husband had described seemed so distant and unreal, that it was near impossible for her mind to even consider the possibility of ever meeting her. So, she did what any woman would have done in her situation. She shook the hand offered.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Chris suddenly slammed the book shut and sighed. "This is useless. It doesn't say anything helpful about Nyru. We're just going to have to ask Uncle Christopher."

"Which is what I said in the first place," Alex pointed out.

The brunette witch rolled his eyes. "Sue me for trying something else first why don't ya?'

"Well, dinner is about ready. You three can fill us all in about what's going on at dinner." Anne turned to Bianca. "You will stay for dinner, won't you?"

Bianca glanced over to Chris and Alex, saw them nodding their heads at her. She grinned. "If I want the information, I suppose I should. If you're sure it's okay?"

"My sister-in-law always goes over the top when it comes to these dinners. She could feed an army. One young woman isn't going to be a problem." Anne gestured for them to follow her downstairs. "Come on now. You need to talk to Christopher about your problem, he's downstairs waiting at the table."

The four of them walked down the stairs, and then moved into the kitchen. None of them could have imagined the kind of drama their entrance would make.

Anne entered first. "Piper, the boys are trying to help an innocent, and they need to talk to Christopher about something, so I invited her to dinner. I hope that's all right."

"Why wouldn't it be?" The matriarch replied, but when Piper turned around to see who the guest was, and her eyes fell on Bianca, the oldest Charmed One dropped the large bowl of pasta she had been holding. It hit the floor with a crash. The bowl shattered, the green pasta spilling out onto the floor. For once, Piper didn't care about the mess.

Memories of her little boy's dead fiancee sprung to her mind's eye. The woman that had betrayed her son. The vixen who had broken his heart and nearly gotten him killed. What was worse, the woman who had left him scarred with her loss. No words came to mind as she stared openly at the younger version of Bianca. What could she possibly say?

Leo, who couldn't see who the guest was from his angle at the table didn't know what his wife had seen to make her drop the dish. He just jumped up from his seat at the table and moved to her side to try to aid his obviously distraught wife. "Piper, what is it?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, Piper Halliwell did what her instincts told her to do. She looked over to her baby boy to see how he was holding up. When he merely frowned at her in confusion, Piper realized that his seat was facing away from the door, and he hadn't seen Bianca yet. However, due to her obvious shock over whoever it was, and her now concerned gaze settling on him, Chris slowly turned around to see who had arrived.

When his eyes laid sight on Bianca his heart nearly stopped. His mouth fell open just slightly, and this seemingly caused all the air to escape his lungs because he found he suddenly couldn't breathe. Bianca was alive, and young, and vibrant, and currently standing three feet away from him. His strongest ally during a hellish war. His best friend when he needed comfort. His lover when the cold, harsh world seemed too much to bear and intimacy the only escape. A light in a very dark world. She had been his everything. The woman he had once considered the love of his life. She had died in his arms. All these years he had lived with the pain and loss. Now, she was standing three feet away from him. And he could do nothing.

Emma turned to Wyatt, who was sitting next to her at the table. "What's wrong with Auntie Piper?"

"I don't know." Wyatt replied, equally lost. He looked first at his mother and father, recognizing their fear and concern filled faces. He followed his mother's gaze, finding that it was directed at his Uncle Christopher. Okay. So whatever everyone was freaking out about had to do with him. And this girl. "How could they know each other?"

"How could who know each other?" Melinda asked, her curiosity peaked as well.

Wyatt ignored her. He was too busy trying to puzzle out this mystery to answer her question. Emma merely shrugged at her, as if to say 'beats me'.

Chris and Alex moved farther into the kitchen, glancing around at each of their family members' faces. Each one held some form of either bewilderment or concern. It was definitely not a good sign when all the adults looked worried. Alex glanced over to his cousin. "Chris, what's going on?"

"I don't know." Chris replied softly.

Bianca for her part, merely watched in fascination as the world the Halliwells had known began to shatter. She never would have thought it possible for her presence to have such an impact. What could be causing this family meltdown? What did these people know about her? They couldn't possibly know she was a Pheonix. They hadn't even glanced at her wrist. So, what was going on? Very strange...very interesting.

"That can't be who I think it is, right?" Paige whispered to the younger of her sisters. When Pheobe didn't answer her, the youngest Charmed One frowned and looked at the middle sister. She recognized the look in Pheobe's eyes. She was getting a strong read off of someone. This was not good. "Pheobe, control it."

The empath didn't respond.

"Pheobe..." Paige tried again, but deep down she knew it was useless. If whoever in the room was giving off a strong enough emotion to render the empath blocking potion everyone in their family had taken useless, then there was no way her sister could fight it. Hopefully it was just Bianca's obvious confusion over everyone's reactions. Hopefully.

"She's here. I can't believe it." Pheobe began, softly at first, gradually growing louder. "She's three feet away from me. The love of my life. I've missed her for seventeen years, longed to see her face, hear her voice just one more time, and now that she's hear I can't even fucking touch her!"

Christopher hadn't even heard his aunt's tirade. He was still too focused on Bianca. However one voice caught his attention. One soft, hurt voice, broke the spell.

"Chris?"

The man looked up in time to see Anne's blue eyes filled with tears. Their eyes locked for a fraction of a moment before she turned on her heel and pushed past the three teenagers behind her to get out of the kitchen. To get away from him.

Christopher closed his eyes in an attempt to regain his composure. Seeing the looks on everyone's faces was too much to handle. He had to block them out and calm down. Just breathe and think of what to do. He didn't move from his place at the table, knowing that it was no use going after his wife just yet. She would want to be alone for a while. He couldn't blame her.

"Uncle Christopher?" Wyatt asked, confused. "Those were your feelings?" The oldest teenager narrowed his eyes, suspicion and even slight anger bubbling under his gaze. "This girl is the love of your life?"

Emma shook her head. "That's not true. Mum's the love of his life. It's all a big mess up. Tell them, Dad. Tell them it wasn't you."

Christopher couldn't ignore his daughter's soft voice. He opened his jade eyes and looked at her, saw her blue pair filled with confusion, fear and hurt. He opened his mouth to answer her, but no words would come. What could he tell her? What could he tell any of them?

"This is sick." Wyatt rose from the table, shaking his head. He turned a disgusted look on his uncle. "How could you do this? How?"

Melinda wrinkled up her nose. "Eeeww. She's like half your age, Uncle Christopher. If you were gonna have an affair, couldn't you have done it with someone your own age? Perv."

"Shut up! Everyone just shut up!" Alex cried out. "He didn't cheat on my mum!" The teenager turned desperate jade eyes on his father. "Tell them. Tell them you love Mum, and that you've always been faithful to her. This is just a stupid misunderstanding."

Piper moved forward, trying to put a reassuring hand on her grandson's shoulder. "It's okay, sweetie. You're right. This is just a misunderstanding."

Alex brushed her off, focusing on his distraught father. "Tell me the truth, Dad."

"I..." Christopher began, but found for the first time in his life, he couldn't do what he did best. He couldn't lie. He couldn't think up some plausible explanation that would make this situation all better. He couldn't come up with a story that would subdue everyone. All he could see were the jade eyes staring into his, begging for the honest answer. He had to give it. "I love your mother more than anything. You know that. I've never been unfaithful."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Then why the hell did you think all that stuff about the innocent?"

"I'd like to know that myself." Bianca added, feeling more than slightly uncomfortable. The middle Charmed One's outburst had thrown her for a loop. She had never expected something like this to be an issue. A strange man in love with her? Weird and creepy.

"Seventeen years." Chris' voice spoke softly, rising from the back of the kitchen next to the woman who had caused all the trouble. When all eyes turned to the teen, he ignored them. His shock at what he thought he had puzzled together causing him to focus on his uncle. Their eyes locked and in that moment he knew he was right in his deduction. "Oh my god."

Christopher shook his head, trying to get his younger version to remain silent. "Chris-"

"-Holy shit." With wide eyes, the younger Chris took a step back, shaking his head in denial. "No way. No freaking way."

Wyatt moved over to his brother's side, concern written on his features as he put a hand on his sibling's shoulder. "Chris, what is it? Do you know something the rest of us don't about this mess?"

Unable to deny his brother an answer, Chris turned numbly to his big brother. "Seventeen years was what Aunt Pheobe said. He missed her for seventeen years. Bianca's only twenty-two or so. She would have been like five when he supposedly was with her. And the way Pheobe sounded like she was in pain...it was like Bianca was dead." Chris turned to look at his uncle. "All the similarities...it fits, and it explains your connection to Bianca...sort of."

Wyatt took Chris by the shoulders, forcing him to face him again. "Chris, what makes sense? What fits? What do similarities have to do with anything? You aren't making any sense. How does Uncle Christopher know Bianca?"

"He was in love with her." Chris replied, his tone still numb from the shock of his revelation. "They were together when he was younger. Before he met Aunt-err-Anne."

Melinda frowned. "I thought you already said that would have put Bianca at five?"

"It would have...if he were from this time." Chris answered, returning to stare at Christopher. "But he isn't. Are you?" Chris pulled away from his brother and moved to stand in front of his uncle. He couldn't stop himself from staring into his uncle's green eyes. Looking into those green orbs sent shivers down his spine now. Because he knew the truth. "You're me...from the future."

Nothing would ever be the same again.

**Tbc...**


	28. Aftermath

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**CHAPTER 28**

**Aftermath**

Five words. Five little words was all it took for the lives of every Halliwell to change. To collapse in some cases. _You're me from the future_. One revelation and years of love, friendship and most importantly trust were thrown out the window. This is the aftermath of those five little words.

Christopher Perry Halliwell could have lied. Could have called his past self crazy. Could have done any number of things to try to convince–essentially himself– that this conclusion was wrong. He didn't. Suddenly his talent for storytelling, lies, and manipulation were all gone. All he could do was hold the shocked and confused gaze of his younger version, wondering what on earth he was going to do.

"That's ridiculous!" Wyatt declared. "One little statement about seventeen years and you go off on one of your time travel theories? Come on, Chris. I know Uncle Christopher and you have some special bond and all, and you want to defend him, but this is just nuts. He's a pervert and an adulterer."

Alex stepped forward, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. "Take it back, Wyatt."

"No. You heard what Aunt Pheobe said. Your dad's got a thing for girls half his age. It's sick."

Emma rose from her place at the table, moving to trap Wyatt between herself and her brother. "What Chris said could be true. Then he wouldn't be."

Melinda rolled her eyes from her place at the table. "Oh, so uncle Christopher is your father and cousin all in one? Jerry Springer anybody? He'd love to have us on."

"Melinda, stop it." Pheobe warned, her voice low.

Paige felt a pain in her lower abdomen. She frowned. "Is that what I think it is...?"

"Okay, okay, for the sake of argument, let's say Uncle Christopher is my little brother from the future. What is he doing here, and why has he lied to us all about it since we were little. Why the stay here in the past? Why not go back to a time when Bianca was all grown up instead of pining after her here. Why the hell get married to a woman that isn't the love of your life? Why have kids with said woman?"

Chris swallowed hard, still staring into his future self's eyes, asking many of those same questions himself. Why would he do this to himself? Why would he give up so much to stay in a time that he didn't belong to? Why risk the future by doing so? What was his future self even doing here in the past to begin with? None of it made any sense, but he knew deep in his gut that he was right. His so called uncle was his future version.

"I'm gonna go. This is obviously a family matter." Bianca managed before exiting the kitchen, completely unnoticed. Once out of the room, she slipped to the side of the door, to eavesdrop, ready to shimmer out if she had to in order to avoid being caught. She needed to hear what was going on. She also needed them to think her completely innocent in the disaster about to befall their family. Best way to do that was to get out of dodge as soon as possible...or at least appear to have gotten out.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen the situation had not gotten any better.

Emma turned to her grandparents, her ice blue eyes gazing questioningly at the couple. They had reacted to what her cousin Chris had said. They had almost gasped, then let out a relieved breath. She'd seen it. What Chris had said was true. As messed up as it was, she knew it was true. What she couldn't understand was why all the adults had grown so quiet. Why weren't her aunt and–err– grandparents– defending her father? Backing up her cousin's–father's– claim? Unless they wanted Wyatt to make everyone question it? They didn't want people to know the truth. Why? What was so bad about the truth? Sure it was whacky and unconventional, but they were witches, their entire lives were whacky and unconventional.

"I'm not saying what Chris said is true. I think you're both wrong." Alex said.

Chris suddenly turned, looking at his cousin...his son...okay, too weird even for this family. For the first time he could see–really see– the similarities between himself and his cousin. They looked more alike than even he and Wyatt did. The personalities could be uncannily similar too. Now he understood why. As disturbing as it was to realize his cousin and best friend was his son, it also made some strange sort of sense. "Alex, I am your father."

"Ooh, did anyone else get a Darth Vader vibe from that?" Melinda asked.

Pheobe shot her daughter a dark look. "Enough."

Paige got another sharp pain. She glanced down at her stretched out stomach. "No way. You've got to be kidding me."

"Chris, exactly how many beers did you have before I showed up at that pub? Because you must be completely thrashed to seriously believe you're my dad."

"Pub?" Piper exclaimed, temporarily forgetting the more serious matter. "What the hell were you doing drinking, Christopher Perry Halliwell? You are only seventeen years old. What were you thinking? You are in soooo much trouble."

"Piper, don't you think there are bigger things to be concerned with than our son's underage drinking?" Leo gently reminded his wife.

Another contraction hit Paige. "Several bigger things actually." She wasn't surprised when no one paid her any attention.

Emma, still focused on her grandparents asked them softly. "Why don't you tell everyone the truth? You can back Chris up."

Piper and Leo exchanged surprised looks. Out of all the children, they should have known Emma would have been the first to believe. She had a knack for seeing through things–much like her Aunt Pheobe. Strangely, though, they hadn't expected anyone to believe it. It was after all, too out there for even their family.

It was Piper who was able to find her voice. "The answer is your father's to give. Not ours."

"Don't worry. It's going to be okay, Angel." Leo added, noting the child's unease with his wife's answer.

Emma glanced over to the boys. The tension was running thick as mosquitos in Minnesota. Not a good sign. "I hope you're right, Unc–err–grandpa."

Leo's eyes lit up at the sound of the word from his sweet granddaughter's lips. He was a grandpa. He supposed it was silly to feel that just because Emma knew, it was now more true than before. But he did. Being a grandpa in the eyes of the little girl felt wonderful. Maybe the children knowing the truth wouldn't be a complete disaster. After all, Emma was handling it just fine and she was the youngest.

"Alex, I'm serious," Chris continued. "For whatever reason, I came to the past and decided to stay. I mean, think about it. All these years, how is it that Uncle Christopher has known exactly what I'm going to do before I do it? How is it that I always seem to know what he's thinking? How can we be so inexplicably similar in so many ways? From our eyes to our powers. And all that Bianca stuff...seventeen years...come on, Alex! I can feel it. I always have been able to. It fits."

Alex shook his head. "You've lost it."

Chris turned to his future counterpart. "Tell them. Back me up here."

"I..." Christopher glanced at Wyatt, who was looking at him as though his uncle was the devil himself. His older brother suffered from a knight on a white horse complex in this life. If he really believed his Uncle had betrayed his Aunt, he would continue being angry on her behalf. Chris looked next to his daughter. She gave him a small smile. Emma knew already. That was a relief. Sort of. Next his past self...the teenager was practically begging for him to spill. Lastly, Alex...his son...the reason he was in the past in the first place pretending to be something he wasn't. He couldn't lie to Alex. "I am Chris' future version."

Leo and Piper let out the breaths they had been holding, but still clung to each other as though an earthquake was going on, and their spouse the only protection they had from crashing down to the ground. In one way, an earthquake was going on. Their family was about to get shaken up and some people were going to fall through the cracks.

Melinda blinked and started looking from her cousin to her uncle back and forth. One would have thought she was watching a tennis match instead of merely looking at her relatives. When she finally managed to speak it was one word. "Whoa."

As all right with it as she thought she would be, Emma realized suddenly how different her life was. Her cousin was her father. Well, in essence, he had never really been her cousin. Which was weird. And sad in a way. She loved Chris and she loved her father, and she couldn't make herself love them as the same person because to her, they never would be. To make them into one person seemed to tarnish her affection for one version of him or the other. She was so confused all of the sudden. Would she be able to keep both a cousin version and a father version? Merely know that they were the same? Or was she going to end up losing someone in her life? She found moisture on her cheeks at the thought.

"You're lying." Wyatt accused half-heartedly. Something in the eyes of the adults in the room having caught his attention and weakened his belief. His uncle couldn't be his brother though...could he? It didn't make any sense. He turned to his parents. "Mom, Dad?"

Piper nodded, her eyes watery at the sight of all the children so distressed. "It's true, sweetie. Uncle Christopher and Chris are the same person."

"Our son." Leo commented, looking proudly at the future version, trying to give the man the courage to explain himself.

Christopher gave him a small, tired smile in return. Then, he focused his attention on the teenagers. "I'm sorry I lied to all of you. The Elders were concerned with the repercussions of anyone knowing who I really was. Including all of you."

Wyatt stared openly at the future version of his sibling. It was so strange to think that the man he had called Uncle, who had been there cheering him on when he learned to ride his bike was actually his younger brother. "This is messed up even for us."

"No kidding." Chris agreed. "Imagine being on my end of it."

"I don't wanna." Wyatt said. "Too strange."

Christopher turned hesitantly to look at his son. The black haired teenager hadn't said anything yet. When his green eyes locked on his son's face, his heart broke. Alex looked so confused and so...hurt. The boy's green eyes were clouded with unshed tears. Christopher swallowed, rising from the table to go comfort him.

"Don't." Alex ordered. "Just stay away from me."

"Alex, please..."

The teen shook his head. "My whole life is one big lie. I don't even really know you. My own father."

"Yes, you do." Christopher argued. "I haven't really changed. I'm still the same man who told you stories at bedtime. Who taught you how the moon revolved around the earth using fruit. Taught you to tie your shoes. How to ride a bike. How to orb. I'm still your father above all else, Alex. You have to believe that you and Emma mean everything to me."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. That's why you totally lost it when you saw Bianca. _Your true love_. What the hell was Mum, then? A way to pass the time?"

Christopher narrowed his eyes. "You know that's not true."

"Yeah, Alex, Dad loves Mum."

The black haired witchlighter turned dark eyes on his sister. "Shut up, Emma. You're too young to understand."

Paige hissed as the pains she was feeling every so often increased in intensity. "Uh, guys?"

"Alex, don't talk to your sister that way." Wyatt scolded, wrapping his arms around his little cousin as she cried from the unexpected harsh words of her idolized older brother. "She didn't do anything wrong. She doesn't deserve your attitude."

Suddenly, the dinner table burst into flames.

Piper flicked her wrists, effectively pausing it while Leo grabbed a large bowl out of the cabinet, filled it with water and dumped it on the flames to put them out. The matriarch flicked her hands again, and smoke started to rise from the scorched table. She turned a worried look to her husband. They both knew what the loss of control meant. Trouble.

"I'm sorry about the table, Aunt Piper." Alex said softly.

"It's okay, Sweetheart."

Alex shook his head, the tears finally released from his lashes. "No. No it's really really not okay."

Chris moved to his cousin's side, aiming to comfort his best friend. "It will be, though."

"Says who?" Alex snapped, his temper suddenly refueled. "You? My...what? Best friend? Cousin? Father? I swear if you try to act like a father I'll punch you so hard your head will come off."

It was the older teen's turn to get angry. "You think this is easy for me? To find out that I end up trapped in the past? Losing the life I knew for some mysterious and more likely than not harrowing reason? Pretending to be something I'm not? Plus, the whole seeing my future self day in and day out pretending to be my Uncle, and now knowing my cousins are my kids– creepy as hell, Alex. So, stop with the whole poor me bullshit. You aren't the only one whose life has just been turned upside down."

"Maybe not, but at least your _entire existence_ hasn't been a lie. I just found out that the cozy little life I knew was all an act put on by my parents. I thought we were happy. I thought my parents had a love to end all loves. That _he_ wanted to be with us. When in fact your future self was actually completely miserable–pining away for someone that wasn't my mum! A life that didn't include me!"

Christopher shook his head, shocked by his son's claims. "That's not true."

The boys hadn't even heard him.

"You don't know that!" Chris yelled back. "Maybe I stayed for you! So stop acting like a selfish child, and consider other people's feelings. Your sister is bawling and instead of her brother comforting her, _mine_ has to. Not to mention how your mom's feeling or Wyatt or me. Like I said before: Your life isn't the only one to have changed here! Whining and setting furniture on fire isn't going to fix that."

Wyatt frowned, puzzling out something. What Chris had said...something was ringing true with it. An answer to one of the many questions. He turned to his Uncle– older younger brother. "You did stay because of Alex, didn't you? That's why you couldn't go back to the future. You got Aunt Anne pregnant. That's the only explanation as to why you wouldn't go back to your own time. Am I wrong?"

"No." Christopher shook his head. "You aren't wrong, Wy. I did stay because of Alex."

The black haired boy turned his attention to his father. "What?"

"I stayed to be a part of your life, Alex. If I had gone back to the future, I would never have gotten a chance to see you grow up. To be a part of one of the best things I have in my life."

Paige hissed in pain. "Seriously, I know this is bad timing but– "

Pheobe and Melinda simultaneously shushed her.

"You've got to be kidding me." Paige muttered as the mother and daughter returned their attention to the dramatic scene before them as though watching the climax of a riveting movie.

"Okay, but how did mum end up pregnant in the first place if your true love was Bianca? Bianca who was waiting for you in the future?"

Christopher didn't want his son to know how he was conceived, but he also deserved the whole truth. Sighing, the father couldn't look his son in the eyes when he spoke. "I had a very bad night. I was very very depressed, when an amazing woman sat down beside me. We talked. There was a connection. I was more than slightly drunk. Things got out of hand."

Alex shook his head. "That's just great. So I was a cosmic mistake that made you stay in the past. One of the best things in your life? What a crock! I'm the reason you couldn't be with your real family in the future. With your real true love. I'm the reason mum just got her heart broken to tiny bits. Fucking wonderful." Needing desperately to be on his own to think about it all and calm down, the teenager orbed out of the kitchen.

Christopher closed his eyes, frustration and sorrow forcing him to need to block out the real world for just a second. When he opened his green eyes, he saw his past self staring at him again. He sighed. "What is it, Chris?"

"It still doesn't make sense."

Wyatt nodded. "Yeah, I agree. Major part of the puzzle is missing."

Piper and Leo held on tighter, instinctively knowing that what had transpired so far was only the tip of the iceberg. The real aftermath was only just beginning. They knew this to be true because their hearts suddenly stopped in icy fear of what the next question would be from their sons' mouths.

"Why did you come to the past in the first place?"

The couple closed their eyes. Piper's breath caught in her throat. Leo winced.

Christopher sighed, wearily. "It doesn't matter. What matters is finding Alex."

"He's on the bridge." Chris supplied. "I can sense him, which you should know considering you're...you know...me."

Wyatt frowned. "Are you afraid to tell us?"

"Yes." Christopher answered sharply. "So drop it."

Emma jumped at her father's harsh tone, instinctively holding tighter to Wyatt. Unfortunately this contact brought with it the final push over the edge that the family needed to collapse on itself.

_An image of a slightly older Wyatt springs to the little girl's mind. Only this Wyatt is so much different from the one she knows. It isn't just his physical appearance–all black clothes and the shoulder-length, unkempt blonde hair_. _It's the look in his eyes. Dark, threatening. It's the way he stands. So pompous, so intimidating. It's the aura he radiates. Power. Sheer, unchecked power. This most definitely is not the sweet, loving, gentle cousin Emma has known all her life._

_She knew this before she saw him telekinetically strangling Chris._

_Wyatt turns to look behind him at who Emma recognizes as Bianca. "I thought you said you could talk sense into him."_

"_Leave her out of this." Chris choked out._

"_Pardon me?" Wyatt growled before tossing his brother across the room with the careless flick of his hand._

_Bianca ran to the younger brother's side, guilt and worry etched on her every feature. "Chris, please I didn't bring you here to die."_

"_Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. . .I think."_

_The younger man then gets to his feet and charged Wyatt who easily deflected the attack causing Chris to crash to the floor again. _

"_Have you lost your mind?" Wyatt asked angrily before levitating his little brother into the air, igniting an energy ball in the palm of his hand. "I don't need you."_

_Bianca shoved her hand into Wyatt's back, causing the older witch to cry out in pain, the energy ball extinguished. This allowed Chris to run to the middle of the attic and lift up a squeaky floorboard, pull out a piece of paper from the space and read a spell to get his powers back. Emma didn't understand this part of the vision. How'd he lose his powers in the first place? How had the spell gotten there? Who had written it? _

_In any case, it was at this point in time that Wyatt flung Bianca off his back and into a broken table leg. She was impaled. Chris let out a heart shattering cry. _

Emma opened her eyes to find everyone staring at her. Then, she turned to her eldest cousin...her uncle really. Fear caused her voice to quiver. "You killed her."

"What?" Wyatt asked. "Em, what are you talking about? Killed who?"

"Bianca. You killed her...tried to kill dad." Emma took a step backwards toward her grandparents. "You. . .you were evil."

Wyatt shook his head. "No. No way. I would never. . ." He trailed off as he saw the look on his brother's future version's face. A pain that could only mean one thing. "Oh god...no." He shook his head again, trying to deny what he suddenly knew was true. "Please, tell me it isn't true, Uncle Chris. I didn't...I wouldn't..."

Christopher, much like his past self, couldn't deny his brother anything– including an answer. Even if it was only a vague one. "It's changed, so it doesn't matter."

"That's why you came to the past." Chris realized. "You came to change the future...make Wyatt good."

Christopher didn't answer, but the look on his face was answer enough.

Wyatt looked ready to fall apart. His little brother attempted to place a hand on his shoulder in comfort, but Wyatt pulled away. "Don't. I just...I can't..."

"It wasn't you." Christopher said. "That Wyatt doesn't exist anymore."

"But what he did does. For you." Wyatt countered. "Every horrible thing was real for you, which means that even if I don't become evil it still happened and its affects still touch you. God. I can't believe this. I was evil. I killed an innocent woman. I tried to kill my own brother!"

Chris tried again. "No, Wy. You're the best. Really."

Again, Wyatt brushed him off. "I need to be alone. To think."

Wyatt went up in a swirl of blue and white lights, off to his dorm room where he could struggle through the fact that in another time he had been evil. Had hurt one of the most important people in his life terribly. And to wonder if it was possible that history would repeat itself. Would he wind up hurting Chris again? A place deep inside whispered sinisterly– _yes_.

In the kitchen, Melinda shook her head, whistling. "This family is soooo messed up. We have cousins who are fathers. We have a meltdown from a guilt machine who feels like a cosmic mistake. We have a former evil member of the family find out he was evil and freak. Not to mention that Aunt Anne is probably filing for divorce from her husband whose future lover has returned." She turned to her mom. "And you were upset because I _might_ have sex."

Pheobe opened her mouth to reprimand her unruly daughter when Paige let out a cry of pain.

Chris pulled a face. "Why are my shoes suddenly wet?"

"Oh my god, Paige!" Piper cried moving to her little sister's side.

Pheobe moved to help her baby sister stand up from the table. "Honey, why didn't you say something?"

Paige rolled her eyes. "Just help me to the hospital would you?"

"Can't you orb, Aunt Paige?" Emma asked.

"Damn it! Why didn't I think of that?"

Piper shook her head. "No way missy. No orbing while in labor. We will _drive_ to the hospital." She turned to her husband. "Leo, start the car. We'll be there in a sec." She looked to her future son. "Will you be okay until we get back?"

"Yeah."

The two older sisters helped Paige out the backdoor to the car, leaving the two versions of Chris alone with Emma and Melinda. As they took in the sight of the feast Piper had made, each realized their appetite had long ago vanished. So, they stood in silence, wondering how they were going to fix their broken family.

Meanwhile, from her place behind the wall, Bianca grinned darkly. "Two down. Two to go." She peeked around the corner where she could see both Chris and Christopher. They may think she is their destiny, but love was the last thing on her mind. She narrowed her eyes. "You two are in for the ride of a lifetime."She shimmered out to begin phase two of her master's plan of separate and destroy.

Thus concluding only the beginning of the aftermath from those five little words.

tbc. . .

**The next part will have Nyru and some action in it--promise.**


	29. Nyru's First Win

Sorry this took sooooo unbelievably long to be updated, but I'm back at school and things are too hectic for regular updates. Thank you bunches to those who reviewed. You guys are the only reason I'm even attempting to update with life as crazy as it is.

**CHAPTER 29**

**Nyru's First Win**

Sitting on the trusty couch up in the attic, Anne just stared at the opposite wall, not really seeing it, but instead, the look on her husband's face upon seeing his long lost love returned. Shock was expected, but the other emotions– love, passion, frustration– well, perhaps she should have expected those as well, but she hadn't. And to have seen them all flash in his eyes with such intensity...it had hurt. Almost as much as his belief that Bianca was his true love.

After fifteen years of marriage, two children and countless perfect moments how could Chris not believe and feel with all his heart that Anne was the one he was meant for? How could he not love her more than Bianca? She had given him trust when he asked her to believe the impossible. She had given him a home when he wanted to be close to the baby. She had given faith in his ability to care for both herself and their child. She gave him her heart and showed him that love was still an option. She gave him a son and a daughter. Apparently none of that meant much.

The woman wiped roughly at the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to march downstairs and punch her husband in the face for being so stupid as to think any other woman could possibly love him as much as she did. Mostly...mostly she wanted him to hold her and tell her it was a mistake.

Phoebe's empathic ability never made mistakes. Those were his feelings. He was still in love with Bianca. Bianca was his true love– not her.

Her breath hitched as she let out a small sob.

After her sobbing had ceased, Anne began to wonder how long she had been up in the attic. A long while she supposed. She wondered vaguely what was going on downstairs. Raised voices had erupted a while ago. Even if she had tried to there was no way she could have made out who was talking or what they were saying. All she knew was that their family was not doing well at the moment. Part of her felt she ought to go back down to try to help smooth things over. The other part was too sad to care. After quite a while of debating, the first part eventually won out.

Rising from her spot on the couch the woman moved slowly out the door of the attic. She paused in the hallway as she saw her husband sitting on the top of the steps with his head in his hands. Anne stood fixed in her spot, watching him as he took one shaky breath after another. Her anger and her love for him were battling to decide whether to let him rot or to pull his head into her breast and hold him until he returned to the strong, stubborn, neurotic man she knew.

Before she could make a choice one way or the other, Chris' head snapped up and he turned to look at her through anguished jade eyes. "Annie."

Anne closed her eyes as the word washed over her. So much pain and guilt entwined with so much love and hope was too much for her right now. Especially in that name. "Do not call me that."

If her eyes had been open the wife would have seen the man wince.

When she did open her eyes all she saw was the top of his chestnut hair. "You only call me Annie when we make love. Before when you have used that nickname it always made me feel like that name held all the tenderness and love in the world. I felt special. . ." Anne lowered her head, her black hair falling into her face, hiding the tears that were threatening to spill down again. "It means nothing now. Just a word. Your voice."

Chris lifted his head then, his face looking stricken. "I'm sorry."

Anne smiled darkly, her tone bitter when she spoke. "No need. You cannot possibly help how you feel. You love Bianca."

"Anne– "

"– No, really it isn't your fault. You told me she was the love of your life all those years ago. Told me you would never find love again. She was the one for you. This is all my fault really. Silly me, I thought I could make you happy. I thought you could love me like you loved her. I should have known I was just a poor man's Bianca. A pathetic attempt to replace her."

Chris rose from the stairs. His jade eyes had been starting to blur in sorrow, but now were sharp with indignation. "I love _you_, Anne. You are my wife and the mother of my children. The love and respect I hold for you couldn't be described with mere words. You _know_ that."

Anne pursed her lips and turned her head away. "She was the love of your life, though."

When after several failed attempts to get her to look at him, green eyes finally locked with blue, Chris continued. "What I had with Bianca is over. The woman I knew is dead. That teenager is no one to me. Never will be. If anything she's the soul-mate of a different self. Our nephew."

"It doesn't matter." Anne replied, starting to get equally angry, her sadness evaporating with the heat rising in her face. "You _wanted_ her, Chris. You were dying to take her in your arms. To hell with all the wonderful things you said about your love for me. I _heard_ what Pheobe read off you."

Chris' temper flared. "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt by what I felt, but damn it, Bianca was important to me! To see her after all this time. . .well, how was I supposed to feel? Honestly, Anne, how would you have had me feel? Indifferent? I loved her. She was my fiancee. My friend and confidant. I can't just forget about her or what we meant to one another. I won't. Not any more than I would forget about or stop loving you if– God forbid– anything were to happen to you."

"I'm not asking you to forget about her. Never forget about her. I just. . ." Anne wiped away a stray tear, using the motion to turn her gaze from him again. "I just wish you could understand how terribly inadequate I feel right now. If she had been here in the past, alive and your own age, you would have chosen her. No doubts about it. It's just hard to accept that I'm not the love of your life."

As hard as the woman had been fighting not to, she started to sob.

Without warning, the witchlighter wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He stroked her long black hair, then whispered into her ear. "You are the love of my life, Annie. Everything happens for a reason. Bianca's death, Alex's conception. . .we were meant to be. I know that without a doubt. You wanna know why?"

She nodded weakly.

"Because without you, I'm lost."

Anne pulled away, unsure what to think or feel or decide regarding her husband. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to forget the image of him and Bianca that kept springing to her mind. She just wasn't quite ready. So, instead of continuing this heart-breaking conversation, the woman opted to gaze past him, down the stairs toward the entrance to the kitchen. She wiped away the stray tears rolling down her cheeks from the last utterly heart-swelling statement he had made. "Do they know?"

Chris nodded numbly. He had to fight to keep his voice from shaking. "Yeah. They do."

"How did Alex and Emma handle it? Are they all right?"

"Alex feels he ruined my life. That _his_ life is a lie, and his existence a cosmic mistake. He's up on the bridge thinking and hopefully calming down. Emma's just worried about him and Wyatt right now. I think she's okay with the truth."

Anne closed her eyes, letting a sigh escape her lips. "Oh, Alex. How could you think that you were anything but a blessing?"

"He's just angry, and I can't say I blame him. We did lie to him."

Anne finally turned to look at her husband again, concern furrowing her brows. "Wait. You said Alex _and_ Wyatt? What's wrong with Wyatt?"

"He found out he was evil. I mean, other him was evil."

"Oh good Lord. Poor boy."

"I never wanted him to know."

Anne nodded, returning her attention to the kitchen door. "It's so quiet now. All the yelling earlier, I had imagined some raised voices would still be going on now."

"Paige went into labor. Mom, Dad, and Aunt Pheobe took her to the hospital."

"Bloody good timing that was."

Chris couldn't help but grin at her sarcasm. "Yeah."

Emma appeared from the kitchen. She paused at the bottom of the stairs. "Dad? I'm sorry to bug you, but Uncle Jason called from Hong Kong, and said that he just got attacked by one of the tattooed demons. He vanquished it with a potion, but he's afraid more might come."

"That's just great." Chris muttered before thanking his daughter for letting him know.

Emma turned around to leave, but paused. "Oh, and Dad? Chris–err– younger you just orbed out, and I can't sense him."

"Even better."

"Chris, I'm sure he's fine. After all, aren't you two connected somehow? You'd know if he weren't. It is most probable that he is just blocking her. Go make sure Jason is protected. I'll stay here and hold down the fort." Anne paused. "You are sure that Alex is okay, right?"

Chris nodded. "If at any point he goes off my radar I'll let you know. Then we'd have something to worry about. Right now, he just needs some time alone to sort it all out."

"Ok."

As her husband started to dematerialize into shining blue lights, the war going on between Anne's hurt and the love for Chris was decided. She loved him. He loved her. They would work this out.

She grabbed his arm, effectively bringing him back into a solid form. When his jade eyes asked her why she had stopped him, Anne offered a small tearful smile. "Just because I'm angry with you beyond words doesn't mean you can leave for a possibly dangerous situation without me telling you I love you first."

From the bottom of the stairs Emma smiled and let out a relieved breath. Neither of her parents noticed as she slinked out of the room to leave them alone.

"You're an amazing woman, Anne Halliwell." Chris replied, tenderly cupping her face with one hand and caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm not amazing. I'm a jealous shrew. I'm sorry I reacted so poorly. I just want to keep your heart all my own, I suppose. I know that you love me. That's all I need."

"My heart is yours. Forever and always."

"Go. Jason needs you. We'll finish this later."

"Forever and always." Chris repeated, his deep green eyes staring into hers with such intense passion that until he dematerialized into a swirl of light, she couldn't break his gaze. When he was gone, she let out a sigh, and decided to head into the kitchen to check on the girls.

When she reached the kitchen she found her daughter looking like she had just gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Anne raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Um..."

"Emma Halliwell, you tell me right this instance."

The young girl swallowed and glanced out the backdoor. "I tried to stop her, but...well, she wouldn't listen! She wanted to see him and with everybody distracted..."

"She?" Anne frowned, temporarily at a loss. "Melinda?"

A nod.

"She used a family crisis as a chance to rendevous with her scummy beau?"

Another nod.

Anne rolled her eyes heavenward. "Wonderful." She held out her hand. "Orb me to her. Now."

Knowing better than to question her mother, Emma reached out and took hold of her mother's hand, orbing them off to the home of the unsuspecting skater boy. Boy was he ever in for a surprise...

000

Glamouring had to be one of the coolest powers ever. At least that was what Chris thought when he morphed into a taller, more muscular, black haired, blue eyed twenty year old. Not that he liked the look better than what he really looked like, just that the demons wouldn't recognize him and try to kill him, which was always a bit of a nuisance. Especially when he was looking for someone.

Taking a seat at the bar of the pub he and Alex had just visited earlier that day, Chris wondered if it was possible he had been wrong. Perhaps she wouldn't return here, ready to take up the search for the monster that killed her mother. Maybe, just maybe, he would never see her again. That thought caused a strange dull ache to rise in his chest.

As if in answer to his question, Bianca walked through the door. Her chocolate brown eyes scoured the room, then suddenly, they settled on him. A small smile crept up her face. She shoved her way forward, slipping past the various regulars until she reached Chris' side at the bar. Without saying a word she sat down beside him and then stared at him. Her gaze was so intense that he couldn't help but shift nervously.

"Is there a particular reason you are blatantly staring, or are you just weird like that?"

Bianca smiled. "Suspicion confirmed." She leaned forward, her hot breath brushing against his ear when she whispered. "Didn't you piss off your mom enough the first time you came down here, Chris?"

Chris pulled back. Now, it was his turn to stare. "How'd you know?"

"I felt it. Just like you felt me when I came in here. It's the natural connection between us."

The hot blooded teen grinned. "So we're connected huh?"

Bianca leaned forward, her lips almost touching his ear this time. The feeling of her breath sent shivers down his spine and her closeness was enough to send the blood rushing south. "Yes, though, not in the way I think I would like."

"Oh?" Chris swallowed hard, trying not to lose focus of the conversation and to keep his eyes on her face rather than drifting over her perfectly formed figure. "Any suggestions on how to remedy that?"

"Oh, yeah."

_Five minutes later..._

"Demon hunting? Your idea of getting closer is demon hunting?"

Bianca shrugged right before ramming an athame through the heart of a brute demon. "How a guy vanquishes evil says a lot about him." She grabbed another demon tossing him towards Chris, who was ready with his own dagger, jamming the point into the demon's back. The brute went up in a fiery demise just like his friend before him. Bianca smiled. "Nicely done."

"Thanks."

"Behind you."

Chris whirled around, coming face to face with one of the tattooed demons his family had been searching for. "You guys again." He gestured with his hand, flinging the tall, pale demon into the wall, pinning him there. "Where's Nyru?"

"You don't need to know little witch."

"I beg to differ." Chris started clenching his hand into a fist, squeezing off the demon's air supply. "Now, where is Nyru?"

At that moment another three of the pale skinned, tattooed demons appeared, surrounding Bianca. With each armed with fireballs, the Phoenix was having a hard time dodging them all. "Chris!"

The young man whirled around and gestured widely with his arm, sending the three demons flying into the opposite wall; however, the demon he had been interrogating used the opportunity to ignite his own fiery ball of death and sent it at Chris, who was too distracted with the other two to notice.

Bianca threw an energy ball at the demon just before her new friend met with an ill fate. She then returned to battling hand to hand with the other three demons. However, she wasn't able to vanquish them on her own. Chris orbed in behind the trio, flicking his wrists and blowing one up. The second shimmered out before he could get a good hold on their molecules. The third, Bianca kicked in the stomach, knocking him backwards onto the ground. "Where's Nyru?"

"Die Bitch!" The demon howled flaming out and appearing right behind her.

Luckily, Chris had anticipated this move and upon the demon's return, flicked his wrists causing him to explode. After all the demons were effectively vanquished, Chris sighed. "Should have kept that one alive for questioning, but I didn't want to give him a chance to hurt you."

"I don't need protection." Bianca replied, a slightly cold tone appearing in her voice for the first time.

"I noticed that." Chris replied, ignoring her obvious change in demeanor. He wasn't feeling too warm and friendly with her at the moment either. "Where the hell did you learn all the moves you were pulling, and how to throw an athame like that? And correct me if I'm wrong, but did you at one point throw an _energy ball_?"

Without warning, Bianca slipped her hand around his head and pulled his lips on hers. She parted her lips immediately, seeking out his tongue with hers. He tried to resist her kiss at first, tried to remain weary of her, but as soon as she had succeeded in caressing his tongue with hers, a spark flew that neither of them could resist keeping alive. All thoughts of suspicion disappeared as Chris' mind filled with images of her. He wanted her. He needed to have her. End of discussion.

Shimmering them into her apartment, Bianca didn't care that she had just blown part of her cover. She doubted that the young man would remember anything he'd noticed when she was through with him anyway. So, pushing him onto her bed, she straddled his waist and pinned him down, crushing his mouth with hers before suddenly letting up in order to pull off her shirt. As she did this, Chris made fast work of his own, tossing it aside before pulling her back down to him.

By the time they were done, both were more satisfied than they ever had been before and also more exhausted then they ever had been before.

Chris was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. But he had to know a few things. He had to find out more about her. That's why he had gone looking for her in the first place after all. "Bianca? Who are you? Really."

The woman sighed and rose from the bed, grabbing her clothes from their scattered positions on the floor and started to dress. "You know who I am."

"No. I really don't." Chris forced himself to sit up, though the energy required seemed almost too great. "I know what I heard. About you and me being lovers in a different time-line. You were the love of my life. My future self seems to love you still, and that says a lot considering the new life he's made for himself here." Chris narrowed his eyes. "Then I know what I saw. You threw an energy ball and shimmered."

Bianca turned around, the look in her eyes unreadable. "Do you think I'm evil?"

Chris paused, unsure what he thought. Had she made love to him just then because he had started questioning her? It seemed that way. However, the actual act itself had been so passionate...was she just that good of an actress or was that connection between them real? It sure as hell felt real. "I don't think I would fall in love with evil in this time line or any other."

"Love?"

"I meant in the future. My futureself and you." Chris quickly rectified.

The older woman shook her head, grinning before pulling on her tall black boots.

After a moment, the younger witch ventured a question. "So...what are you?"

Bianca sighed from her spot on the edge of the bed, lifted her arm to show him her wrist, which featured a large red bird tattoo. "A phoenix witch. My clan rose from the ashes of Salem. Some of them turned to evil because of their anger and hatred for the humans that had murdered them. They developed demonic powers. I inherited them."

"And all the fancy moves you used? Inherit those too, did ya?"

The Phoenix gave him a look. "No."

"Well, where'd you learn them?"

"My mother." Bianca replied, the pain in her voice causing Chris to regret bringing it up. "She taught me to protect so that I could have some protection from demons. In the end it didn't protect her though..." Tears suddenly sprung to her eyes, and Chris moved to hold her close.

As he held her warm body against him, Chris whispered into her ear. "I promise I will find Nyru, and I will make him pay for all the pain he's caused you."

Bianca smiled wickedly behind his back but forced her tone to remain soft. "Thank you."

000

Nyru turned around as his personal assassin shimmered into his private quarters. "Status?"

Bianca grinned. "You were right. He and his futureself are connected. It's as though he can feel all the love and passion his futureself holds for me whenever I'm near him. I've already managed to seduce him. A little adrenaline rush and he was ready for bed. Getting him to comply with phase two should be just as easy.

"And the son?"

Bianca grinned. "My next stop."

Nryu turned his back to her, nodding his head. "Excellent."

tbc...


	30. Nyru's Biggest Victory

Thanks sooo much to those still reading. The reviews keep me writing. Hopefully I'll be able to update every week or two now that I'm back in the groove of the whole school craziness. :)

CHAPTER 30

**Nyru's Biggest Victory Yet**

Wyatt Halliwell tossed the red rubber ball at the wall, heard the satisfying smack of it hitting the wall, watched as it bounced off after leaving a black smudge mark on the white surface, then caught it one handed. He repeated the process over and over and over again, not caring in the least that his roommate was probably ready to kill him for marking up the wall and making so much noise. He wasn't thinking about his roommate at the moment. The Twice Blessed Witch was too focused on other darker thoughts.

He had been evil. He'd tried to kill his little brother. Chris. The thought of touching one hair on his brother's head with any sort of malign intention made him feel ill. How could he have lived an entire life that way? Trying to hurt the one person who had always been there for him. The one person who really understood him. Chris was his best friend. How could any version of Wyatt Halliwell want to hurt someone so special in his life?

Throw. Smack. Smudge. Bounce. Catch. Throw. Smack. Smudge. Bounce. Catch.

Throw. Smack! Smudge. Bounce! Catch. Throw. SMACK! Smudge. BOUNCE! Oops.

"Halliwell!"

Wincing at the shrill tone of his roommate, Wyatt slowly turned around to face the owner of the angry voice. Justin, his roommate, looking completely irate, was gesturing wildly at his computer's keyboard which had a strange brown liquid soaking it. The witch followed the trail of the liquid to a Starbucks cup that was knocked over, the blonde teen's little red bouncy ball was nearby.

"You fucking jackass!" Justin raged on. "Look what you did to my computer you moron!"

"I'm so sorry, Man. I just had a really bad day, and was trying to zone out, but guess I zoned out a little too much." Wyatt apologized. "I swear I'll fix it, though."

Justin rose from his chair to reveal that his khaki pants had also received the coffee treatment. "Yeah, what about these? This isn't coming out and these are seventy-five dollar pants. Brand new."

In his head Wyatt wondered why any self-respecting teenage guy would spend seventy-five dollars on one pair of pants, then wondered how a college boy could afford to drop seventy-five dollars on one pair of pants. He decided it was probably the guy's parents' money. The witch had always known the guy was a spoiled brat. This just confirmed it.

Out loud, Wyatt responded, "Of course, totally on me. My bad, so I'll fix it."

"Good." Justin replied before storming out of the room, muttering under his breath about 'stupid useless jocks'.

Wyatt sighed, moving over to take a look at his roommate's keyboard. He poked one of the keys. It worked fine. It was just a little wet. Justin would probably claim the damn thing was broken regardless. Unless. . .

"Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen."

Sparkling white lights surrounded keyboard for a moment, and when they disappeared the lights left in their wake a perfectly dry keyboard. Not even Justin would find fault in it. At least Wyatt hoped not.

_Magic for personal gain. No wonder you were so easily turned evil in your other life._

The Twice Blessed Witch shook his head trying to clear that thought from his mind. "It was just one little spell. Besides, it was for Justin really."

_Making excuses for one small wrong, is this how I became evil? Surely, I then moved on to making excuses for bigger wrongs. I bet I even excused myself for trying to kill my dear baby brother._

"That's not me."

Justin came back into to the room and frowned at the blonde. "What's not you?"

Wyatt nearly jumped at the sound of his roommate's voice, so engrossed in his argument with himself that he hadn't noticed the other teen enter. He quickly turned to face the freckle-faced redhead. "Um...I gotta go."

Pushing his way past Justin and out the door, the young Halliwell turned the corner into the laundry room, checked to make sure no one was around, then orbed out to his favorite thinking spot.

Unlike Chris and Alex, his thinking spot was not the Golden Gate Bridge. Truth be told, he hated heights. Instead, he picked a small clearing in a heavily wooded park that his mom had brought him and Chris to when they were kids. It was the one place outside in the entire city that they could use their magic and no one would ever see. Nowadays, he just like the complete solitude it offered. Gave him a chance to clear his thoughts.

_Maybe it can clear my thoughts, but it can never clear my guilt. _

Wyatt sat down cross-legged on the soft grasses then closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing just like his father had taught him to do in times of high stress. Unfortunately, his meditation wasn't going to happen. He couldn't even steady his breathing, needless to say control his thoughts.

_I'm evil._

The Twice Blessed groaned and opened his eyes. "That's not true."

_Oh but it is. It's in my blood. I enjoy power too much. I abuse my magic. I lord it over people. I think I can play God._

"No. I would never..."

A vision appeared before Wyatt's eyes. _A young father and his little boy were playing catch out in the main part of the park, near the entrance. The ball went out of the five year old's reach and into the street. A speeding car swerved back and forth across the yellow line. The little boy didn't see the car. Screeching tires. . ._

"Oh my god." Without thinking, Wyatt orbed out to the entrance of the park, careful to put on his invisibility shield first. He looked around frantically for the child, finally spotting the little mop of brown hair near the curb. The child entered into the street. The car came barreling around the corner, swerving closer and closer. Not wanting to hurt the little boy, Wyatt focused his telekinesis on the car, forcing it to miss the boy. Unfortunately, by some strange occurrence a young blonde woman who had been walking on the opposite side of the street, suddenly seemed to fall into the road and was instead struck by the drunk driver.

Wyatt's eyes went wide and he screamed out, his voice joining the crowd's cries. Running full speed over to the woman and the now stopped car he fell to his knees by her side, immediately raising his hands over her chest, hoping to heal her bloody and battered body. No golden glow appeared.

"She's gone." Someone announced.

The witch shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "No. Nonono. Please, no." He held out his hands again, but again, nothing happened.

_I killed her_. _I think that just because I have more power than anyone else it gives me a right to play God. I've exchanged one life for another. I'm a murderer. A killer._

Wyatt lowered his head. "I killed an innocent woman."

_Power corrupts. Complete power corrupts completely. Evil is my destiny._

He stayed with the body until the ambulance came and the crowd had long departed. Even after all had left, he stayed kneeling in the same spot repeating over and over, "My destiny."

000

Nyru lifted his head from his trance. The demon glanced down at the grimoir in front of him. His hand traced the ancient yellowed pages fondly. "Such a lovely little spell Bianca cast for me. In the eyes and mind of one's enemies. Such a lovely spell. Soon, the mighty Wyatt Halliwell will be powerless to stop even the most pathetic of demons. So soon."

The shadow cloaked demon next turned to one of his henchmen, who had been waiting silently for his orders. "What's the status on the Charmed Ones?"

"The youngest is in labor. She is having difficulty because of her age."

Nyru's lips curled up. "The Power of three will be easier to break than I thought." Taking a vial out of his cabinet, he handed the green potion to the tall, pale skinned demon. "Slip this to her. Make sure her sisters don't catch you or a hell unlike any you've visited will be waiting for you."

"Yes, Sir." The demon shimmered out.

"Twice Blessed is out of the picture. Soon two sisters will be out of the way. One to go. I do hope Bianca is having as much luck with the others as I am with my victims."

000

Alex watched the traffic blur below him. He didn't know how long he'd been up on the bridge. Hour or two maybe. It would explain why his nose, cheeks and ears were all going numb from the cold. He didn't care. His life was in shambles. A little cold was nothing in comparison.

How could his parents lie to him for so many years? How could they just go on pretending that everything was normal and happy and good, when it was just such a mess? Mess seemed like a bit of an understatement. His father and cousin were the same damn person. It didn't get any more messed up than that. Oh wait. It did. His father's future version married a woman in the past because he got her knocked up. Now, he was trapped in the past with a family he never wanted.

Alex closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. He shook his head. He knew that wasn't true. His father loved him. He had always felt that. Never had he ever questioned it before. He was just so confused. How could his father possibly love him after the life Alex had ended up strapping him with? What was going to happen to his parents' marriage? Did they really love each other or was that a lie too?

"Help!"

The teenager groaned. "Damn whitelighter sense."

Closing his eyes, he reached out to sense for his new charge, for she had to be new. He didn't recognize her aura. However, her voice sounded vaguely familiar. After a moment, he pinpointed the location. Letting his senses do the work, he allowed himself to dematerialize into the familiar blue orbs and be carried off to his innocent.

When he rematerialized in a back alley he had to roll his eyes. "Great. So I'm with a bloody brilliant charge who can't figure out that going into allies alone generally leads to bad things happening."

However, when his green eyes landed on the woman who had called him, any thoughts of her stupidity vanished to be replaced by numbing shock. "Bianca?"

"Alex, help me!" The older woman called out as one of Nyru's emaciated, pale skinned minions tossed her into the wall, powering up an energy ball.

The witchlighter raised his hand, summoning the element of fire to do his bidding. Within seconds, the demon with the scythe tattoo on his forehead was engulfed in flames, his shrill cries ringing in both the survivor's ears.

Alex moved over to the fallen woman's side, helping her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you." Bianca replied, her voice soft and silky as her deep dark eyes peered meaningfully into his own jade pair.

The teen's face reddened slightly as he picked up on the obvious flirting. Shoving his hands into his pockets he forced himself to avoid her gaze from then on. "So, you're my new charge?"

"No. I just called you. I figured since you were a whitelighter, you'd hear me."

Alex nodded. "Oh. Makes sense." He glanced around the alley nervously, wondering why they were still just standing there. "So, um, do you need me to...I don't know, take you somewhere? Home?"

Bianca lowered her eyes, a sadness creeping into her being that wrenched the teenager's heart. "I don't have a home. Not since. . ."

"I'm so sorry." Alex quickly offered. "I mean. . .about your mom."

"It's okay. I just wish I could find the bastard responsible." She shook her head. "If there was some way I could get more information I know I could piece together something."

"You could come look at the Book of Shadows if you think it might help." Alex offered. "Plus, there's my dad. He's a walking, talking Book of Shadows."

Bianca looked surprised for a moment before recovering her composure. "So you and your dad are okay? What with all the trouble when I left I thought something really bad was going on in your family."

"It is, but my dad and I always will be tight even if life is totally messed up right now. I can't stay mad at him. Not when his pain is my fault."

The woman's interest peaked at this point. "You blame yourself for something that happened to him?"

"Yeah." Alex replied. "But I don't really wanna talk about it."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm told I'm a good listener. And everybody needs a good friend."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Bianca smiled to herself before coyly asking, "So...can I see the Book of Shadows now?"

"Sure, why not? I mean, if you can find something in there that my dad missed that will help us find and destroy Nyru that would be fantastic."

"Yes of course. . .to destroy Nyru."

Alex got a shiver up his spine at her strange tone. Too bad he instead of listening to his instincts he listened to his hormones which were screaming how beautiful she looked, and ended uptaking her hand and orbing her into the attic to get a look at the Halliwell's most prized heritage. Oh how he would regret that decision later...

tbc. . .


	31. Surrounded by Death

Sorry for another long wait. Could not be helped :(

CHAPTER 31

**Surrounded byDeath**

The first thing Chris saw upon orbing into Jason's apartment in Hong Kong was the upturned furniture, broken lamps, pictures hanging crookedly on the walls or fallen to the ground, books and business papers tossed haphazardly around the floor, the burn marks on the light beige carpet...the small drops of blood leading to a bloody hand print standing in stark contrast to the white walls.

Chris was frozen in place as he spotted the red mark. He had seen a lot of scenes like this growing up with the Charmed Ones. Demons attacked all the time. Sometimes harming those he loved in manners more bloody and gory than any Hollywood producer could recreate on the big screen. Hell, he had been in a war where he witnessed friend after friend struggle, suffer then die an excruciatingly painful death. Yet, when he saw that mark, his heart dropped down to his stomach where fear and dread served as the acids that ate it from the inside out.

Regaining his wits, he called out for Jason. No one answered. He was afraid that would be the case. He moved forward quickly, yet to him, his movement seemed slow. Running room to room in what felt like slow motion, he only found more scenes of disarray and destruction, but no Jason. The last room in the apartment was the bathroom. Chris flung open the door.

Nothing had been touched in this room. Everything was as neat and clean as a bathroom could be. Sparkling white in fact. Except the mirror. Chris had to read the crimson message twice before his mind registered what it was telling him.

_A sad, pathetic thing is the human life. Short and full of nothing but sorrow. The least I could do was help this one wash away the pain forever._

Chris instinctively turned toward the shower. Jason hadn't been found anywhere else in the apartment and something in the message tugged at the man's mind, telling him that he'd find his answers–good or bad– in that shower. Honestly, he hadn't paid much attention to it when he first entered. Now, he moved deliberately toward it, forcing his feet to go where his heart begged him not to. Bracing himself for anything, the witchlighter yanked back the white plastic curtains.

What he saw made his stomach turn. He nearly lost all the contents in his stomach, but by sheer strength of will he kept the rising bile down and forced himself not to turn away from the still body of his Uncle Jason. The man was submerged in the pale red water that filled the small white tub. A deep red stain covered most of the man's light blue shirt, revealing the location of the fatal injury. Chris barely took account of the water's tint or the stab wound. It was the eyes that had done in the nephew. Jason's blue eyes were frozen open in horror and pain. Chris recognized that look from the faces of friends long lost to him. That look revealed that the last moments of his Uncle's life had been the worst of his life.

The witchlighter looked around the shower for any more clues left behind by his enemy. There was nothing. Chris forced his logical mind to wrap around the senseless death of his Uncle. Why would Nyru kill Jason of all people? He was a simple mortal, no threat at all. If he had been used to make a point or leave a clue, then where the hell was the clue? Was the point just that Nyru was done toying with them? That any and all members down to the very least threatening were going to be targets? No. That wasn't Nyru's style. He was methodical, calculating...he was just like Chris. Nothing was done without accomplishing something big in the long term affects. Killing Jason didn't accomplish that.

Unable to stand himself for going over possible battle strategies that could explain his Uncle's death, Chris shook his head to clear the old general Chris' thoughts from his head. He was not leading a war right now. He didn't need to be that person. . .at least not yet. Right now, he had more personal matters to deal with.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Jason. I should have been here sooner. I should have seen this coming...been ready." Chris knelt down next to the bathtub. His face was blank, but his eyes were shining with grief. "I won't let this happen to Aunt Pheobe or Mel or anyone else we love. I may have failed you, but I swear I won't fail them. I will get Nyru, and he will pay for this. I swear it."

Slowly rising, Chris closed his eyes. "Please forgive me for this, Jason."

"May the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen."

White lights filled the room flying over the mirror and erasing the message that Chris had burned in his memory for the rest of his life. The lights hovered over the tub and the corpse cleansing them both of the atrocious crime committed. The witchlighter repeated this act in every room in the apartment, effectively wiping clean the evidence. When he returned to the bathroom, Chris looked over at Jason's now seemingly healed corpse surrounded by clear bath water and sighed. It looked like Jason had drowned to death. If the police showed up before he could figure out a better solution, Jason would be classified as a suicide. Case closed. No investigation that could reveal demons did it. Magic was safe.

Letting out a guilt filled breath, Chris orbed out of the apartment to break the news.

000

"I'm deeply sorry but you three will have to go to the waiting room while we try to stop the bleeding."

Piper flicked her wrists, effectively freezing her baby sister's doctor along with all the nurses in the room. "I don't think so." She turned to her husband. "Leo, go heal her." When he didn't move she raised her hands as if to blow him up. "Don't tell me it breaks the rules or I swear I will blow you up into so many pieces it will take you months to reform."

Leo smiled affectionately, knowing his wife well enough to see past the threat to the fear that propelled it. Slowly taking his wife's hands in his, the Elder locked eyes with his best friend. "Honey, I know you want to fix this anyway you can, but you just have to let the doctors do what they need to do, and keep faith that everything will be okay. Chris already said he had a little cousin named Pearl didn't he? And if something were going to happen to Paige, he would have warned us, so nothing to worry about."

"Leo's right, Piper. Paige will be fine. She's a fighter." Pheobe added, even though she looked just as worried as her sister.

Piper almost smiled. Instead she gestured for her husband to get back in position, then unfroze everyone. Without waiting for the Doctor to continue with his explanation as to why they needed to wait outside, the Eldest Charmed One turned her back to him and walked out of the room, followed by Leo and Pheobe.

As they stepped out into the hallway, they were shocked to find Chris waiting there for them. Most people would have thought he was fine, perhaps a bit tired, but generally ok. Not his mother. Oh no. Piper Halliwell rushed to his side, immediately recognizing the pain in his eyes that refused to be revealed anywhere else. Cupping his face in her small hands, she forced him to look at her as she asked him what had happened.

Chris stared down into her chocolate brown eyes, gathering strength from her. Then, he forced himself to look up to his aunt. Forced himself to look at her deep brown eyes, knowing that in a matter of moments, he was about to send her world shattering down around her. He should be used to delivering this kind of news. He used to have to do it all the time. Never to his own family though. Never to the woman who had helped raise him. Who had been a shoulder to cry on when his father was a no show. Who had given him advice on girls. Who had taught him how to write spells. Never to the woman who trusted him when no one else did. Who helped him deal with nightmares of a life thought left behind. Never to Pheobe.

"It's..." Chris took a deep breath, swallowing down the bile again as the image of his Uncle sprang to his mind's eye. "It's Uncle Jason..."

Pheobe's eyes went wide. "Chris, what about him? Is he hurt?" She saw him wince at the last question and she knew in her heart what news he had come to tell. She had to hear it though. Until she heard it from her nephew's mouth, she would not let herself believe one of her worst nightmares had come true. "Chris, please...what happened to Jason?"

"I'm so sorry, Aunt Pheobe." Chris managed. "I didn't get there soon enough. I didn't know..." The man swallowed, opting to start at the beginning. "Emma said he called, that Nyru had sent a minion after him. Jason vanquished it with a potion. I was going to go over in case more arrived. I never thought he would send them, and definitely not so fast. I swear only ten minutes elapsed max before I got there and the place was completely trashed and Uncle Jason. . ." He couldn't look her in the eyes. "Uncle Jason was dead."

Pheobe let out a heart wrenching sob before her knees gave out, and she would have fallen to the floor had Leo not caught her. Her sobs echoed down the hallway, drawing attention from passing nurses and patients. She didn't care. The love of her life was dead.

Leo held her up, drawing her into his arms allowing her to cry on his shoulder. His eyes, however, never left his son's face. He recognized the look there. It was a blank, unfeeling appearance combined with a dark mysteriousness in his green eyes. It was the same look Chris always got when dealing with loss and pain and suffering. The same look he wore whenever anyone brought up his past. He was holding it all in, taking it all on himself. Leo hated it when he saw that look. He hadn't seen it for so long, and hoped he would never have to again. He made a mental note to have a long talk with his son about the proper way to deal with grief when he got the chance. He realized the irony in that thought. He was after all ignoring his own sorrow at the loss of his friend by focusing on Chris' pain. He was the parent though. He didn't have to follow his own advice.

For a moment, all Piper could do was stare at her son, as though hoping it was some sick and twisted joke, and he would, at any moment, deliver the punch line. However, he never did, and she was forced to deal with the fact that her little sister had lost yet another love. Then she thought about Melinda. Oh god. That poor girl! Piper felt the tears slip down her face without consciously realizing she was crying.

It was during this traumatic time that Nyru's henchman appeared dressed in full scrubs and looking the part of the caring doctor. None of the Halliwells noticed him, too full of their grief to pay attention to a random overly pale doctor. So, he slipped into Paige's room, waiting for the right moment to slip her the potion that would end her life.

000

Anne and Emma orbed into a dark and dingy apartment located on the other side of the city. The apartment only had four rooms. A kitchen which was littered with dirty dishes and overflowing trash bins; a livingroom which contained posters of marijuana plants and beer bottles along with random dirty laundry and miscellaneous items scattered about; and two bedrooms, one of which the door was open and only darkness appeared present and another that had the door closed with a soft light emanating from under it.

The mother gave a disgusted glance around the room before turning to her daughter. "Stay here. And for goodness' sake don't touch anything. Lord only knows what kind of foul illness you make pick up in this pig pen."

Emma stifled a laugh.

Anne pointed to the bedroom with the closed door. "Do you sense them in there?"

"Um..." the little girl closed her eyes for a moment, sensing for her cousin. "Yeah. She's in there, but Brian is with her."

"Lov-el-y."

Forcing herself to go toward the door, Anne prayed she wouldn't see what she thought she would. Taking a deep breath, she flung open the door. To her great dismay, Anne found Phoebe's daughter was indeed quite busy, though it wasn't in the way that the Aunt had thought she would find her niece, but rather fighting off her boyfriend who didn't seem to want to take no for an answer.

The young man had her by the wrists, kissing her neck and whispering into her ear how much she really did want to make love. Didn't she love him? Sure she did. Then she should want to do this. . .for him. All the while Melinda was shaking her head with tears going down her cheeks saying over and over how she really didn't. She wasn't ready. She wanted to go home.

Anne's temper at this moment could have rivaled her mother-in-law's when it came to protecting family. Rushing over to the bed she grabbed a handful of Brian's hair pulling him backwards away from Melinda. The kid tried to scramble loose, but Anne then used her leverage to shove him as hard as she could off the bed. Once he was effectively away from her niece, Anne nodded to the young girl, who lifted her hands and froze her boyfriend.

"I t-tried to ff-freeze him earlier, but he gr-gr-grabbed m-my hands." Melinda sobbed, while attempting to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand.

Anne put her arms around the teen, stroking her long brown hair gently to calm her down. "It's ok. You are going to be just fine."

"He's n-never like that. I d-don't under-s-stand. Normally he's just so sw-sweet."

"Was he smoking marijuana?"

Melinda turned her head away.

Anne sighed. "Drugs scramble people's heads, Mel. Especially after prolonged use. Inhibitions are lowered. Of course he is going to act abnormally while smoking. . .and drinking?"

Melinda lowered her eyes at the question.

Anne sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose trying to calm the frustration she felt.

"You're going to t-tell mom aren't you?"

The older woman had the very strong urge to shake her niece. Hard. Of all the stupid things to worry about at a time like this! Anne shook her head. "No. You will though. She has a right to know."

"But– "

"– No, buts." Anne cut her off. "She is your mother and she only wants to keep you safe, which if I recall correctly she was attempting to do before when she forbade your seeing this slime in the first place."

"I guess she was right, huh?"

Anne smiled softly, brushing Melinda's hair from her face. "Yes, she was. I think you owe her a bit of an apology for the way you were treating her lately, hmm?"

"Yeah." Melinda glanced over at Brian. "What am I going to do about him?"

Anne held out her hand. "Come on. Let's get you home and worry about Brian later."

"What will he think when he unfreezes and we're both gone?"

"He is stoned out of his head, Mel. I doubt he will really notice."

Melinda took the offered hand, and together they walked out into the livingroom. Upon entering the disaster zone, both women were nearly given a heart attack when the youngest Halliwell was curled up on the floor in a ball, tears streaming down her face.

Anne dropped to her knees next to her daughter, fear clenching her heart so hard she couldn't breathe. "Emma, baby what is it? What is the matter?"

"The shadow is going to cover all the world." Emma said, her blue eyes wide and unfocused. Her voice was her own, but distant, almost as though she were hypnotized and someone else was forcing the words from her mouth. "They're all going to die. One way or another. One will die when life beginnings. One will be consumed by the flames. One will turn against all he fought for. One will fight himself to the death. Three will die of broken hearts. The rest shall be defeated one by one by the shadow himself. The Halliwell legacy is over."

The little girl's head slinked back, and as Anne,crying in fear for her daughter,held her baby girl, she did not fail to notice the trickle of blood that came fromEmma's nose.

tbc...


	32. Putting It Together

CHAPTER 32

**Putting It Together**

Seventeen year old Chris Halliwell wasn't sure what he was feeling anymore. Fifteen minutes with Bianca had completely thrown him for a loop. He had known he was attracted to her from the moment he first saw her. It had seemed like you're A-typical hormonal teenage lust, but now things were so much more complicated than that. She had been right when she had claimed they had a connection. He felt it. It was like all these emotions he never even knew existed had just smothered his brain and made it dull with this fuzzy warmth that he didn't want to ever go away. Her presence was, for lack of a better term, intoxicating. That's what worried him.

For as long as he could remember, Chris had always been considered the rational one in the family. Not that this title really meant a whole lot considering how irrational his family was, but it was the truth. He kept a level-head. He was logical. He was detail oriented to the extreme. Now? Now he couldn't think straight to save his life. Which is exactly what he felt was at stake.

Out of Bianca's presence, Chris had started to remember small details that created doubt in his mind regarding the woman's intentions. First of all, there had been the reaction she'd had to his outing her with regards to her demonic powers. She'd kissed him. No arguing, no defense in anyway. It was as if she hadn't heard him. But he knew she had. It was almost as though she had kissed him out of desperation, to distract him from his goal of getting to the truth. Though, she had admitted to him what she was after they had been together. So, why try to cover up something only to admit to it freely later on the very same day? It didn't add up. Bianca was hiding something.After all, it was when she arrived that his family started to fall apart. Her very existence in his life just seemed a little too coincidental for his taste. She was a phoenix, which as Chrishad readabout them in theBook of Shadows, he was more than aware thatthey werea group of assassin witches. Could she really be trusted? Bianca could very well be the enemy, simply playing him to get to his family.

"But it felt real."

Chris let out a deep breath, kicking a stone on the sidewalk as he kept walking along the path in the park. He and Wyatt had come here as children, to practice their magic outside without fear of being caught. It was one of their favorite spots. Normally Chris liked to go to the Golden Gate Bridge to think, but he was fairly sure Alex was up there right about now, and the last person he needed to run into at the moment was his cousin...son.

"I seriously need a shrink." The brunette witch smiled ruefully. "The whole damn family needs a shrink."

He kept walking, his thoughts leaving Bianca and the battling thoughts and feelings she created in favor of Alex. Chris hoped his cousin was all right. Well, as all right as any of them could be in such a messed up situation. Still, it had to be a little harder on Alex. He had discovered that his life was based on the biggest lie ever to be told, and that his best friend was actually his father. Chris was freaked out by that too. After all, it felt like his entire life was already planned out for him. If he didn't go to the past, Wyatt would be evil and Alex and Emma would cease to exist. He was supposed to fall for Bianca, she was supposed to die, and he apparently had to shag his aunt.

Chris stopped walking. "Oh god. I think I'm gonna be sick."

What sounded like a voice drew the young man's attention to the opposite side of the street. Chris was shocked to find his strong older brother sitting with his knees pulled up under his chin, staring into the air with a look both horrified and numb etched on his face. He seemed to be muttering to himself over there.

"Wyatt?"

No response.

Chris cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey, Wy!"

Again, no response.

Truly worried, Chris didn't even bother to look both ways before bolting across the street to his brother's side. Squatting down in front of his sibling, the younger witchlighter gently placed on a hand on the older boy's shoulder. "Wyatt, what happened?"

"My destiny."

"Which one?" Chris tried to joke.

A beat of silence passed, and Chris wondered if The Twice Blessed Witch had completely lost his mind. He was terrified. He'd never seen Wyatt like this before. Not once did the future King Arthur show any kind of weakness, and now, all he exuded was helplessness.

Finally, Wyatt looked up, meeting his brother's concerned gaze. "I killed her."

"Wy, what are you talking about? Who do you think you killed?"

Wyatt's eyes dropped again. "The woman. She was standing on the sidewalk one minute...then the little boy came in the street...I couldn't let the little boy die. I couldn't. The car was coming really fast. I didn't have time to think. I just reacted." His blue eyes shot up, fear clouding them. "I didn't mean to, Chris, you have to believe me. It was an accident. She had been on the sidewalk, I swear. Going away from the street even.When I made the car swerve, I never thought..." Wyatt couldn't finish.

It took Chris a moment to piece together what was being unsaid, but eventually he did. The image it created was bleak. He swallowed down his own shock and horror, tried to remain calm and strong in his brother's stead.

"Chris, say something." Wyatt's eyes were beseeching him in a way that made Chris' heart just hurt. "Please."

Chris wasn't sure what to say. So he said the first thing that came into his head. "Why did she jump into the street?"

Wyatt hadn't expected that response. He blinked stupidly. "She didn't. She fell."

"She fell?" Chris frowned. "Just like that? At the exact moment you were saving the little boy?"

"Yeah. . ."

Chris paused, unsure where he had been going with his questioning. Finally, he realized what had bothered him about the scenario. "Were you suffering some sort of insecurity issue before this went down?"

Wyatt's eyes got wide. "How did you know that?"

"The my destiny crap you were muttering earlier was a bit of a clue." Chris noticed a rise in color in his sibling's cheeks. "Did you think you were destined to be evil or something? Because of the other timeline?"

The older brother lowered his eyes again.

"Wy," Chris started, "doesn't this whole scenario sound a little bit familiar to you? Like one of the stories Mom used to tell us about when she and the aunts first became the Charmed Ones?"

"No. Maybe. . .I don't know." Wyatt shook his head in frustration. "I can't remember. Just tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, I vaguely remember some story about something similar happening to Aunt Prue. She was being manipulated by a darklighter or something. He convinced her she was cursed, I think, and that she was going to hurt people. She went to save someone with her telekinesis, and the darklighter manipulated it so that the innocent almost got killed because of it. . .hit by a car too, if I remember correctly. What if a darklighter is doing the same thing to you? To shake you and make you weak?"

Wyatt's eyes brightened slightly. "Then I wouldn't have been responsible for her death?"

"Of course not." Chris looked pointed at his sibling. "You aren't evil."

The blonde looked unsure.

"Come on. Let's go check the B.O.S. and see what it says about Darklighters, okay?" Chris held out his hand to his brother, who latched on for dear life. The younger brother then hoisted the older to his feet.

Wyatt smiled softly. "Thanks, Chris."

"For what?"

"For believing in me even when I don't." Wyatt lowered his head. "You know, both now and. . .and before."

Chris turned his gaze away from the blonde. "Don't thank me for that other thing, kay? If you want to thank someone, thank Uncle Chris." After a moment of tense silence, he looked back at his brother. "As for this time, you're welcome. Now, let's get out of here."

Wyatt nodded in agreement and the two boys went behind a row of trees ten feet away, checked to make sure no one was around, then orbed to the manor.

000

Alex flipped through the Book of Shadows, listing off entries that he thought might help Bianca with her search. Though, he had to admit, it was weird that she seemed so disinclined to stand next to him. A nagging thought pricked his mind. Maybe it wasn't standing next to him that bothered her. Maybe it was the Book? He decided to test his theory.

"Hey, I think I found something. Come here and get a look at this."

Bianca slowly moved from her place on the old couch toward him and the book, but paused about three feet away, trying to peer at the entry from there.

Alex turned the book away from her slightly, completely hindering her attempt. "Why are you way over there? It's not like I bite."

"Just thought you might like your space." Bianca answered, her tone unusually stiff.

Alex frowned, feeling his suspicions were confirmed. Something was off about this woman. She showed up just when all the trouble started, she was coincidentally looking for the same demon his family was, and now, she was hesitating to come anywhere near the book. If he remembered correctly, she hadn't gotten any closer to it when he and Chris had first brought her to the manor either. He decided to play it cool. "I really wouldn't mind sharing my space with you."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh really?"

"I mean to look at the Book." Alex amended feeling his cheeks burn slightly at his mis-phrasing. "Just to look at the Book."

Bianca smiled demurely. "Of course."

Alex wondered briefly if she was flirting with him, or if it was his imagination. No. A beautiful woman like her would not be interested in a skinny little teenager like him. No way. Besides, she was probably a demon. Though, would his dad really have been engaged to a demon. . .? She was awfully beautiful for a could-be demon. Oh, eeewww. Oepidus complex bad! Very very bad!

"So, are you going to come any closer than that then?"

Bianca's jaw visibly tensed as she moved only slightly closer. Her eyes never left the book. "So what did you find?"

Not really having found anything, Alex quickly checked the page he was on. The book's pages suddenly flipped without his touching them. The page landed on an entry entitled "The Pheonix." Alex had never seen the book do that before. He'd heard stories about Grams Halliwell flipping the pages for his aunts--err Grandma and Great Aunts--so he at least knew what was going on. Sort of. It made no sense that it had landed on this page. Unless. . .

"Pheonix witches. I wonder if Nyru might be working with them? I mean, we don't know what those scythe demons are. They might be some new type of pheonix." Alex focused on her again. "What do you think? Do you know anything about the Phoenix?"

Bianca's eyes widened for a millisecond before returning to their natural calm. "No. Nothing."

"You sure?"

The woman glanced down at the picture, her eyes too full of mystery for Alex to interpret. "The Phoenix mean nothing to me."

"Huh." Alex glanced down at the page, knowing that it was important, but not seeing how.

_Trust your instincts, Alex._

Alex glanced up, looking around the room, half expecting to see some ghost of a relative long gone to be standing before him. Instead, it was just Bianca, looking a little more irritated than was called for under the circumstances. His instincts were telling him that something wasn't right with her. What was his dead relative trying to say though? Was she evil? Wait. The book had flipped to the Pheonix page. Could that mean. . .

The teen smiled up at his guest. "Hey, do you have a watch?"

Bianca lifted up the sleeve of her shirt just barely to get a look at her watch. However, it wasn't her watch wrist Alex was interested in. While she was busy looking at the other watch, her long sleeve slipped back on her other shirt without her noticing. It wasn't clear, but there was definitely something on that other wrist. Something a little darker in color. Possibly red. Like the Pheonix tattoo.

"It's about ten," She informed him.

The young man decided that drastic action was needed if he were going to settle his curiosity, sohe did the first thing that came to mind. He picked up the book and tossed it at her. As she caught it, the book began to glow golden and jumped from her hands.

Alex's eyes went wide, and he barely registered her shimmer out and back in right in front of him. Suddenly a white hot pain flashed in his chest and he stared in shock as he saw her hand inside of him, a strange white glow around it. He moaned at the intense pain, unable to even think coherently because of it.

A pair of jingles sounded.

Bianca turned her focus on the lights that were coming down through the ceiling. Quickly pulling her hand back, she offered a high kick to the side of Alex's head, sending the teenager crippling to the ground. She shimmered out just before Chris and Wyatt reformed in the middle of the attic.

Chris was the first to spot the crumpled body on the floor. "Alex."

He and Wyatt both ran toward the boy, kneeling by his side. He was soaked with sweat and was shaking terribly even in his unconscious state. One word escaped his lips. "Bianca."

000

Pheobe took a few shaky breaths, her crying mostly stopped. As Chris looked on at his Aunt, the blank look on her face was even more heartbreaking than her tears had been. Perhaps it was because he'd never seen his feisty, full-of-life Aunt Pheebs so broken before. Or perhaps he just knew what that look meant better than most. He'd worn it for eight years after all. It was a look that signified complete, heart wrenching loss. The kind that makes your very soul ache with grief.

"I need to get to Melinda," Pheobe started softly, "I don't want her to hear about this from some news program."

Piper nodded, her hand still rubbing circles on her little sister's back. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Pheobe shook her head. "No. No, I'm really really not." She turned to face her big sister, her normally vibrant brown eyes completely dull. "What choice do I have, though?"

"I'll come with you," Piper offered.

"No," Pheobe argued, "one of us should be here for Paige. Besides, I need to do this alone."

Leo, who was seated on Pheobe's other side, gently took her hand. "Come on. I'll give you a lift."

Pheobe nodded. "Thanks, Leo."

The Elder rose from his place on the bench seat, helping his sister-in-law to her feet. He turned to his wife mouthing 'I love you'. Piper's eyes were getting teary as she mouthed back 'I love you too'.

Pheobe noticed the exchanged and smiled softly. She knew they didn't want to upset her, and were trying to be discreet.

The Eldest Charmed One stood from the bench seat, moving to stand in front of her sister. "I love you, Pheobe," Piper said aloud as she took her sister in her arms, hugging her tightly. "We will make whoever is responsible pay for this. I swear it."

The younger squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the encore of tears that were threatening to fall. "I love you too, Piper."

Pheobe opened her eyes, swallowed down her pain and turned to her brother-in-law. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Together they made their way outside to the side alley, orbing off to find Melinda and tell her of the ill fate that her father had suffered at the hands of destiny.

Meanwhile, inside the waiting room, Piper noticed that her son was back to looking at the floor. She sat back down on the bench and patted the spot next to her. When he didn't immediately join her, she patted it harder. Chris obediently sat next to her.

"What happened wasn't your fault."

"I don't want to talk about it." Chris replied, staring at the opposite wall.

Piper put her hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Then you can just listen. What happened wasn't your fault. When the Angel of Death wants someone it's their time. End of story. If Jason was meant to die, then he was going to die. All we can ever do is try to save them. That's what you did. You had no way of knowing what would happen."

"I should have gone as soon as Emma told me. I shouldn't have waited a second needless to say five minutes."

"What do you think would have happened if you had gotten there five minutes sooner?"

Chris turned his eyes away. "I could have saved him."

"Nyru wanted him dead. How many demons do you think he sent that they were able to overwhelm him so quickly. Cause so much damage all within five minutes?"

The son returned to look into his mother's soft brown eyes. He realized in that moment what she was saying. If he had been there, he might have died too. Nyru must have sent a lot of demons in order to accomplish so much in such a small window of time. It wasn't just killing Jason. It was setting the scene. The damage everywhere, the note on the mirror, all of it was set up especially for Chris' benefit. Nyru knew his weakness was his family. Jason's death wasn't unplanned. It was to shake Chris up. To hurt his entire family with one sickening blow.

"Do you see now, Chris?"

"Too clearly." Chris suddenly stood up, then began pacing. "He knows me. How the hell does he know me so well?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Nyru knowsme as if he's been studying me." Chris shook his head. "I bet that's what he's been doing this entire time. Making battle plans. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to make my worst nightmares come true. He knows that I can stop him, so he's purposefully doing the one thing that will crack me."

"Still not making any sense, Christopher."

Chris whirled around, his jade eyes frantic. "It's as if he knows everything about my other life...and this one, and he's...he's using that information against me. He knows what will break me, Mom. He knows that as the only one who has been against him before, I am the one with the greatest chance of stopping him. That's why he's using the one strategy that I don't know how to counteract."

"Chris." Piper snapped. "In plain english if you don't mind."

Chris took a deep breath before letting his mother in on what he thought he had uncovered. "Nyru wants to destroy our family."

"No offense honey, but that's generally what _all_ demons want to do."

An elderly woman sitting across the room, frowned, checking her hearing aid.

"All demonstrations are a pain. Really they are." Piper amended, forcing herself to smile at the little old lady.

The woman sighed, picked up a magazine from the side table and began to read.

"It's different somehow." Chris replied.

"How?"

"He's done it before."

Piper swallowed, realizing what her son was referring to. Nyru had after all, killed her in her son's past.

"_Uncle Chris! Hurry!"_

"Shit."

His mother frowned. "I know that look. Who called you?"

"Wyatt. Something is going on at the manor. I need to go."

Without so much as a goodbye, Chris tore off down the hall toward the nearest mens room to orb out in one of the stalls. Piper could only sigh as she watched him go. Her worry level was already at an all time high. She didn't know if she could take this much longer. If one more thing went wrong, she didn't know what she would do. For once, Piper Halliwell felt competely and totally helpless. She hated that feeling. She was, as Leo once put it, best when she was 'doing'. At the moment, though, all she could do was wait. Wait to help Pheobe grieve. Wait to find out what Wyatt wanted. Wait to find out how Paige and her new niece were. She thought she might lose her mind soon.

However, one of her waiting periods was up. Only a few minutes after Chris had left, a doctor came out of Paige's room. He slowly removed his surgical mask. His eyes told Piper more than words possibly could. The elderly gentleman's brown eyes were so soft and so sorrowful.Piper shook her head, tears immediately refilling her eyes. "P-Paige?"

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Wyatt. Your sister didn't make it."

tbc...


	33. Getting Angry

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, I'm trying to use that new system, but its a little different, so sorry if I missed anyone. All reviews are appreciated greatly!**

**Chapter 33**

**Getting Angry**

Chris Halliwell stared numbly at his cousin. Of all the names that Alex could have muttered in his already feverish state, he just had to say hers. Bianca. The one person that had thrown Chris' life into utter chaos in a matter of mere seconds. What did she have to do with anything? It couldn't be what he thought it was. It couldn't. Bianca wasn't the one to have done this...was she?

The younger of Piper's sons barely noticed as Wyatt lifted his hands over their cousin's chest wound and attempted to heal the poor teenager. His attention was only fully captured when his older brother suddenly whipped around to face him, panic on his face. "Chris, it isn't working."

"What?" Chris blinked, shaking his head slightly.

Wyatt frowned, wondering how his sibling could be so calm in a situation where their best friend and cousin was unconscious on the floor with an unbelievably high fever that refused to be healed. "Chris, my healing isn't working."

"C-chris? Wy?" Alex murmured softly, his green eyes fluttering open almost painfully.

"Hey, Alex, it's gonna be ok," Wyatt soothed, only slightly relieved by his cousin's return to consciousness.

Alex didn't even seem to hear him. His eyes sought out Chris'. "B-bianca– " he hissed as the hot pain in his chest engulfed him, "– is a...a phoenix. She attacked me."

"How? How did she do this, Alex? A potion? Spell? What?" Wyatt asked frantically, his hands instinctively rising to give healing him another shot.

The boy's eyes closed drowsily, but he winced as another sharp pain shot through him.

"Chris," Wyatt turned around, "give me your hand. Maybe together we can heal him."

Chris gazed from Wyatt to the sweaty, shaking form on the floor. Alex was trembling in pain, his face contorted in agony. Bianca had done this to him. She was the cause of his family's pain. Somehow, she had managed to single-handedly ruin their lives. As Chris stared at the pain-filled face of his best friend. . .his son– someone he was destined to look out for and protect, Chris knew what he had to do. After all, if she could cause this pain, then she could end it.

Without a word, the younger brother orbed away.

It took a moment for Wyatt to believe his eyes. His little brother had just bailed on Alex. On both of them. How could he do that? What was he thinking? "Chris! Get back here!"

He knew it was hopeless. He couldn't even sense Chris. There was no way that his brother would be able to hear his calls. Which only meant one thing. He was in the underworld. More than likely doing something stupid. Something dangerously stupid.

Wyatt groaned in frustration.

"He's gone after her," Alex mumbled, his eyes still closed. "Kill her if she d-doesn't fix this."

Wyatt let out a breath, a weak smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he gently brushed the hair off his cousin's forehead. "Yeah, that seems like the sort of recklessly stupid thing he'd try."

"He'll save me," Alex continued, his voice frighteningly soft.

"Alex, you've got to stay awake okay?" Wyatt warned. When the boy didn't answer, but instead convulsed painful before going deathly still, the older boy went into full panic mode. "Uncle Chris! Hurry!"

It was only a few moments before bright white lights and the soft sound of chimes filled the attic. Alex's father appeared a moment later. He took in the scene in just a matter of seconds, then quickly moved to his son's side, feeling his feverish face with the back of his hand before turning to Wyatt. "What happened?"

"Bianca happened. She did something to him."

"Oh god, no," Chris shook his head, immediately lifting his son's shirt up, knowing instantly what had caused the teenager's pain and high fever. Underneath the soft blue cotton shirt, a large, round angry wound was found. Lowering the shirt again, Chris took a deep breath to calm down before turning to Wyatt. He held out his hand, "Use my power too."

Wyatt nodded, taking the offered hand, before reaching to the warm place inside his heart that glowed with love and peace. When he had a hold of his own power, he connected with his Uncle and pulled out the dormant power within his Uncle's magic to support his healing. Then, he slowly moved his hand over the wound, watching as a faint glow began to cover the sore. The healing took much longer than the Twice Blessed was used to. Even when it was done, the wound was still present on the chest, though much less pronounced than before. Wyatt shook his head confused. "I don't get it. Uncle Chris, why didn't that work?"

"It worked as well as it could," Chris explained as he carefully orbed his son onto the trusty old sofa. "He's been infected."

Wyatt rose to his feet at the same time the older man did and followed him over to the sofa. When Chris seemingly ignored him in favor of watching his son sleep fitfully, Wyatt folded his arms over his chest and frowned. "Infected by what? What the hell did Bianca do to him, Uncle Chris? What _is_ she?"

For a moment Chris didn't answer. He put his hand on his son's cheek. It was still too hot. Though, there was nothing he could do about that at the moment. He slowly turned his head to face an irritated, worried and scared Twice Blessed Witch. "She's a Pheonix witch. One of her powers is to drain the powers of other magical beings. When she doesn't finish the process, the victim suffers from a type of infection that slowly kills them. The more they use their powers the faster and more painful the death."

"So, she didn't finish stripping his powers and now he's dying?" Wyatt paused absorbing this. After he had wrapped his mind around it all, he raised up sharp blue eyes, his confidence returned. Family was in danger. Nothing else mattered. "How do I stop it?"

"She has to finish what she started."

"What?"

Chris sighed, not liking the answer any better than the blonde did, but knowing from first hand experience what would happen if they didn't get Bianca to finish stripping Alex's powers. "It's the only way to save him. Trust me I know. It happened to me once."

"I can't believe you were engaged to a monster like that," Wyatt responded without thinking. His eyes went wide with regret as he saw his Uncle wince. "Oh, God. I'm sorry, Uncle Chris. I didn't mean– "

"– it's ok," Chris assured him. "She isn't the same woman I knew. This Bianca never had a reason to stop being an assassin. She never had the chance to be good. I should have realized sooner that she was just another piece of Nyru's puzzle."

Wyatt frowned, "Come again?"

"Nyru. I know what his game is now. He's been studying all of us since before Alex was born. Waiting for the time to strike. He knows all our weaknesses, including Bianca."

"You really think she's working for him?"

Chris nodded.

"Oh shit," Wyatt's face drained of all color. "Chris, um past you, went after her. It's probably a trap. Oh god. I've gotta go help him."

"Wyatt, no– " Chris started, but his words died in the air as Wyatt orbed out. He closed his eyes. "Great. Just great."

Alex's moan drew the father's attention. The boy's eyes were struggling to open. Chris knelt by his side stroking back the sweat soaked hair from his face. "Shh...take it slow. It's going to be all right, Alex. I know it hurts, but just keep taking nice slow breaths."

Anguished green eyes looked up at him at last, and small smile tugged on the boy's lips for a moment. "Dad. I'm glad you're here. I'm– I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it before. I– "

His body shook violently, and he ended up wincing with pain, unable to finish his apology.

Chris put gentle hands on the boy's shoulders keeping him still so that he wouldn't hurt himself. "Shh, there's time for that later. Right now, I just need you to rest."

"Am I gonna die?" Alex asked, his voice soft as a child's.

Chris felt his throat constrict for a moment, tears stinging his eyes as he firmly shook his head; "No way. Not a chance. Your cousins are hunting Bianca as we speak, and they'll bring her back here, and she'll fix this."

"It's all her fault," Alex said, "she tried to tear our family apart. Tried to hurt you and mom. Not to mention trying to kill me. I _hate_ her."

As the small potion mixing table started on fire, Alex screamed out in pain.

Chris gestured over to the table, freezing the flames. Returning his attention to his son, his heart was wrenched at the sight of the boy in so much pain...so frail and pale. He took a shaky breath trying to stay in control of his own blazing feelings. "Alex, listen, ok? You have to control your emotions. Using your powers will only worsen the infection. You have to keep a reign on them."

"It hurts."

"I know, but if you let your powers slip it'll only hurt more."

Alex's nod was barely perceptible, "I'll try, but I feel so weak. I d-don't know if I c-can con-t-trol them."

Chris was about to respond that he had every confidence that his son could fight through this, and control his powers, but before he could even open his mouth the boy was unconscious again. The healing was wearing off already. Through his whitelighter senses, Chris could feel Alex's essence slowly ebbing.

Chris closed his eyes, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "Oh, God, please don't do this to me. Please don't take him from me again."

000

Finding Bianca had been easier than Chris had expected. He had almost felt her presence immediately upon orbing to the underworld. All he had to do was reach out and there she was in a dingy dark cavern of the underworld, giving orders to a few familiar pale skinned demons. Chris' hands tightened into fists at the sight. So, she really did work for Nyru. Their so called connection as lovers destined to be together was total crap. She had been trying to use him. Well, good thing he caught her before she could.

Without hesitation, Chris lifted both hands and shot out bolts of lightening frying two of Nyru's minions at once. As two others moved to attack, Chris flung out his arm, sending them both flying end over end backwards. An energy ball soared toward his head, but he orbed out and back in right behind the demon that had sent it, snapping his neck. He turned toward the remaining demon and raised his hand, quickly squeezing his hand shut as he telekinetically stopped the demon's heart, causing it to burst into flames like all his friends before him.

Finished with the minions, Chris turned cold green eyes on Bianca, who had not moved since his arrival. "You bitch."

"Hello, Chris," She replied, her face impassive.

Chris raised a hand, sending her hurtling toward a wall, her body hitting it with a sick thud. Satisfied he asked thinly, "What did you do to my cousin?"

Rising slowly, Bianca still remained emotionless, "What I had to do to survive."

"If you think hurting a Halliwell is the best way to survive, you're delusional," Chris replied, sending her flying backwards once more.

Her head bounced back against the wall, leaving a smear of blood as she crumpled to the ground, from which she was barely able to stand up again. Wavering on her feet, she finally allowed a moment of weakness to flash on her face, "Please, Chris, you don't want to do this."

"Oh I don't?" Chris asked mockingly. "Funny, cuz I sure as hell feel like vanquishing your sorry ass for what you've done."

Just as Chris was about to raise his hand once more, Bianca cried out, "He has my mother!"

"You mean the supposedly dead one?" The witchlighter questioned with a roll of his eyes.

"She will be if I don't do as Nyru asks," Bianca answered, her deep brown eyes locked on her attacker's face. "Just let me explain, then if you still want to vanquish me, I guess there is nothing I can do to stop you. I'm dead either way now."

Chris wanted to ignore her. Wanted to ignore the feelings that were coming over him just by being in her presence. The fuzzy warmth that captivated his mind, holding his reason hostage had returned. For some reason, Chris couldn't resist her. Maybe she had lied about her feelings for him, but he hadn't lied about his for her.

He let out a frustrated breath before allowing the words trapped in his throat to come out his mouth. "You have thirty seconds."

"The Pheonix are very clan driven. Everything is for the good of the clan. Individuals don't matter. This basically means that in the end money is all they care about. My mother used to be one of their highest grossing assassins. They expected me to follow in her footsteps. My mother had originally agreed, but when I was about four or five, she suddenly withdrew from the clan, not wanting me to go down the path she did. Apparently you aren't the only time traveler. My futureself had come back, hating her for making her a killer. When my mother was shown what would happen to me, she vowed to protect me from that life. The Pheonix don't let people quit, though. The only way out is death, if need be, by their hands. My mother was good, but not even she could take on the entire clan– hundreds of professional assassins all gunning for her and wanting to take me. That's when she ran into Nyru. He used my mother's desire to protect me against us. He made a deal where she would work for him, and in exchange he would protect us both from the Pheonix. This is how it was for two decades, then a week ago, he snapped his trap into place. My mother trusted him, and he used it to capture her, threatening to kill her if I didn't do what he wanted. You see, he was never interested in her services. . .he wanted me all along."

Chris narrowed his eyes, doubt shining in them, "You're saying he waited twenty years, going along with this deal, protecting you, caring for you, and he couldn't just ask you to do this? He had to threaten your mother's life?"

"I told you, my mother didn't want this life for me. I certainly don't want it," Bianca shot back, irritated at having to repeat herself. "Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have agreed. I would have turned my back on him."

The witchlighter still wasn't convinced. "Why not kill him and save her?"

"You have no idea how dangerous he is. It's not just the power he has, which is immense, but the cunning. Just look at what he has managed to do to your family, and that should answer your question."

"You mean what _you_ did to my family."

Bianca let out a breath, "Yeah. I guess so."

"You _guess_? Is that all you can say for yourself?"

The assassin's temper flared, her eyes burning into his, "What would you have done if it was _your_ mother's life on the line?"

Chris opened his mouth only to promptly shut it again. He didn't have an answer for that. His mother meant everything to him. She was more than his mother. She was his protector, his guide. . .his friend. He loved her, and any one who tried to take her away from him would die one excruciating death. If she was in danger, there was no telling what length he would go to save her.

"Not so righteous now are you?"

Chris glared at her, "it still doesn't excuse your actions. You could've come to us for help for real, you know."

"Yeah, because your family is doing so well fighting Nyru."

"We would be if it hadn't been for you!"

Bianca rolled her eyes, "This is ridiculous. This isn't helping either one of us."

"True," Chris agreed, "but you telling me how the hell to save my cousin would be a great help."

"If he lives my mother dies," Bianca answered softly, unable to look him in the eye. "His death was part of Nyru's plan. If I fail him, he'll kill my mother."

"He doesn't have to know you failed."

Bianca gave him an incredulous look, "Hmph. Right. Like there is any way he wouldn't find out that Alex was still alive."

"One of my specialties is creating illusions. Part of the whole being half-elder thing."

The Pheonix raised an eyebrow, "Ok, so that's one problem solved, there is still the rest of my mission to complete."

"Such as?"

"Turning you."

Chris blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I was supposed to use the bond between us to turn you," Bianca answered, again unable to look him in the eyes. "I didn't lie when I said we have a connection. Nyru knew one would be there. Things like that never change no matter what has happened to a timeline."

The witchlighter felt both disgusted and pleased all at once. On the one hand, he had been right, she had been using him, but then again, the connection was real and her unease seemed to say that she felt it too, whether she wanted to or not. Better yet, this gave him the perfect opportunity to solve his family's problems.

"I think I just thought of the answer to all our problems."

"Just like that?"

Chris gave her his famous lop-sided grin, "Yup."

"You planning on filling me on this little plan of yours?"

"First we save Alex, then I explain," Chris answered, offering his hand to her.

Bianca studied it a moment, her eyes lifting to his before she finally took his hand and shook it. When she dropped the hand, her eyes could have melt steel, "You cost me my mother, and I will kill you innocent or no."

"You cost me my family, and the same will go for you," Chris replied cooly.

The petite woman allowed a small smile to form, "Glad we understand one another."

"Let's go."

The two orbed and shimmered to the manner just as another pair of orb lights entered the cavern. As the second set of lights formed into Wyatt, the Twice Blessed Witch glanced around only to find that while he had thought he had sensed his sibling here, he'd been wrong. Chris was no where in sight.

"Where the hell did he go?"

It was in this moment that fifteen pale skinned demons with yellow eyes and scythe tattoos appeared in a group, one asking, "Mistress Bianca?"

When they found that instead of their boss' second in command they had stumbled across the Twice Blessed Witch, twisted grins formed on their faces, each shimmering out and back in to surround him. All fifteen powered up energy balls, ready to obliterate the greatest source of good magic to ever walk the earth.

000

"_I'm sorry, Mrs. Wyatt, your sister didn't make it."_

Piper heard the words, but didn't allow herself to believe them. She pushed them out of her mind, refusing to allow a single syllable to stick in her memory. Instead, she did what she always did when she was dealing with a problem. She took action.

Freezing the entire hospital with one flick of her wrists, she hurried into her baby sister's room. The first thing she took in was the blanket pulled up over her sister's body. She ran over to her, yanking off the offending cover only to find herself gazing into the unseeing eyes of Paige Matthews, beloved friend, wife and sister.

Still she would not believe what her mind was saying to be true. "No. No, Paige...P-Paige. God...please...Leo! Leo, I need you! Damn it, Leo!"

A moment passed before the soft jingle and lights entered the room. Leo took in the scene with just a scan of his eyes, and rushed to Paige's side, lifting his hands over her. He knew it was too late before he had even began. He'd seen the ekg readout. He knew this was not the headstrong, passionate sister-in-law he had loved. That woman was gone. All he could do was hope that a miracle was available and that by sheer force of will he could get his healing to bring her back.

"Leo," Piper sobbed, knowing that her last hope had just been dashed as his hands refused to glow with the familiar healing gold.

Leo turned reluctantly from the corpse, "I'm so sorry, Piper."

The woman's strong front completely crumbled, her tears and sobs coming faster and faster until she could hardly breathe. When her husband tried to comfort her, she clung to him, clawing at his shirt as if trying to get a better hold, her face buried in his chest.

Leo himself wasn't faring much better as tears rolled freely down his face.

"I d-don't understand," Piper stammered pulling away to look up at him. "This wasn't s-supposed to happen. Chris said. . .this wasn't s-supposed to be like this. P-paige. . .oh god. . .I can't. . .she's not really. . .she c-can't be gone. We _need_ her damn it! She's our sister. I c-can't lose another sister."

Piper glanced back over her shoulder to the still form of her baby sister, tears falling faster once more, "Paige."

The Elder stroked his wife's long silky hair, "We should get out of here. There's nothing we can do and being here. . .it isn't good for you."

A tiny whimper sounded in the room.

"What was that?" Piper questioned, wiping away the tears that refused to stop falling. "I froze everything."

Leo's gaze settled on the one moving object in the room. A tiny bundle of pink cloth. The husband moved toward it, "Not everything, Piper." He took the bundle from its place in a plastic crib. He held up the wiggling bundle for his wife to see, "Good witches don't freeze."

Piper took the child into her arms, holding the little girl tightly to her breast.

"Looks like Paige left a little of herself behind," Leo said softly.

Orb lights filled the room as a voice sounded from above, "What?"

The couple turned to see Kyle Brody materialize looking first befuddled as he gazed at them, then utterly horrified as he saw behind them. Saw his wife now dead in the bed. He rushed to her side. "No...Paige."

"Paige, baby hold on," he coaxed as he futility attempted to heal her, just as Leo had earlier. When no healing was granted, tears began to pour down the man's face. He took the already cooling hand of his wife, kissing it as if that might restore the woman he loved. "N-no...Paige..." He kissed her forehead. "Come on, don't leave me." He stroked the side of her face. His voice dropping to a whisper, "Not you too..."

Piper moved slowly forward, fighting off her own tears for the widower's sake. "Kyle, you aren't alone."

Kyle's bowed head suddenly lifted, "I'm gonna kill every damn demon in the underworld for this."

"A demon didn't take her from us," Leo tried to explain, but was cut off as Kyle suddenly stood up, rage pouring off him. The Elder recognized the look in the man's eyes. It was the same look Kyle had sported during the Avatar mess so long ago. The man had nearly lost his mind then, consumed by his need for revenge for his parents. "Kyle, you're a whitelighter now. Violence isn't our way."

Kyle scoffed at this, "Oh, you're one to talk, Leo. Anyone, so much as touch one hair on Wyatt or Chris' head and you'd fry them. Pacificist my ass."

"Kyle," Piper began trying to bring the man's attention to the little girl in her arms, "you have something bigger to live for."

He didn't hear her. The whitelighter orbed out with anger plugging his ears.

The baby started to cry, as if she knew what was to become of her father.

tbc...


	34. Win Some Lose Some

**Sorry this took so long to get out. FFN wouldn't let me logintill nowfor some reason. Hope it was worth the wait for anyone still reading this.**

**Chapter 34**

**Win Some, Lose Some**

Phoebe Halliwell gently brushed the hair out of her daughter's face. Melinda had literally cried herself to sleep after hearing of her father's fate. It was the first time the teenager had allowed her mother to hold her in years. They had clung to one another, realizing in that moment that they were on their own now. Jason Dean, beloved husband and father was truly gone. It was now Phoebe's sole responsibility to raise the precious gift now curled up on the bed next to her. Her old bed in the manor, where Leo had orbed them along with Anne and Emma.

A hand fell on her shoulder, a gentle squeeze following.

The Charmed One looked up to see Anne's soft blue eyes gazing down at her. She knew the young woman understood her fears. Anne was fairly frightened herself. Emma still hadn't woken up from her psychic burst, even after Leo had tried to heal her. Phoebe promised to try her hand at helping as soon as Melinda was settled.

"She'll be okay, Phoebe," Anne reassured her. "She's tough, like her mom."

"I know what it's like to lose a parent. She's never going to really be okay," Pheobe answered absently. She let out a heavy breath. "I should check on Emma. I know how hard her powers can be to handle."

"Thank you, Phoebe."

The witch nodded numbly.

Both mothers moved silently out of the room to the one across the hall, where Anne had lain Emma. The little brunette girl was curled up in a tight ball, looking even smaller on the large bed. Fragile even. Leo sat next to her, a grim expression on his face. "Whatever it is isn't physical. I've tried healing her repeatedly, and it's not working."

Phoebe sat down next to the child, closing her eyes. A few tense moments passed before she opened her eyes again. She looked up at an anxious Anne. "Whatever she saw. . .it was big. Too much for her to handle, both magically and emotionally. I sensed a lot of pain."

"Oh, God," Anne looked down her baby girl, tears starting to form, "what do we do?"

"I can't do much for her. I can only sense what's wrong," Pheobe replied, her tone expressionless.

Leo thought for a moment before coming up with a plausible solution, "Wyatt might be able to help. He's an empath and a telepath. If he combines the two he might be able to help her handle the magical load and guide her back."

"Guide her back?" Anne asked, the fear evident in her face.

Pheobe couldn't look her in the eyes. "She's slipped into herself. It's like she's lost in her own mind. It's a way of numbing all the pain I keep sensing from her."

Anne's mouth fell open to speak, but in the same moment a loud crash was heard up in the attic. The women exchanged a look, knowing full well what that kind of sound meant when one was a Halliwell.

Leo moved to orb himself and Pheobe up to the attic when all the sudden he paused frowning. "It's Piper. Something's wrong."

"Go, we can handle this," Pheobe answered.

The Elder hesitated only a moment before he orbed to the hospital to find out why Piper Halliwell, the strongest woman and witch in the world was sounding so terrified. . .so helpless.

Meanwhile, the raven haired mortal picked up her daughter, moving quickly into the other room so that the two girls were together, and easier to protect. She had been through the demon drill enough to know that while she wanted to fight, it was better to stay out of the way.

Pheobe, however, slowly moved toward the attic door. Her hand paused on the bronze knob when she found she suddenly couldn't breathe. There was so much pain. Tears started slipping down her face as she realized what she was feeling. That's why Piper had called Leo away. . .Paige. . .Paige was dead. She was feeling it now. The breaking of the Power of Three for the second time. Piper's pain. Her own grief. All at once it hit her, and she found herself sinking to the floor. She tried to fight it off. Tried to block it all out, and focus on what needed to be done in this moment, but she couldn't.

Another crash. A pained cry of no sounded through the attic door. It was Chris' voice.

Phoebe wouldn't let anyone else die. Crawling to her feet, she twisted the handle and shoved open the door in time to see black orbs disappear through the ceiling. Her eyes settled on the crumpled figure nearest her. Chris was sprawled on his side, one arm under his head, the other bent in an odd angle over his side. Blood covered half of his face and his clothes were smoking. A large wound covered his right shoulder– an energy ball had hit its mark.

The Charmed One moved quickly to his side, checking for his pulse. It was strong. He seemed to be hurt but not fatally. "Chris? Chris, can you hear me?"

A moan escaped his pale lips. His emerald eyes fluttered open in a moment, "Alex?"

He struggled to sit up, but his aunt held him still, "Chris, don't move. You're hurt pretty badly."

The witchlighter didn't hear her, his eyes focused behind her. Tears immediately filled them, and he struggled to stand once more. This time Pheobe helped him up, supporting his weight. She didn't know what was going on until she turned around to find an unmoving Alex lying face up on the sofa. He was dead.

Phoebe couldn't take anymore. Another loved one gone in a matter of moments. Her mental walls were stripped fully now. She didn't have the strength to put them back up. Everyone was dying. Everyone she loved. She couldn't handle her own feelings, and now, because of it, she completely lost control of her empathy. She felt everyone. Piper, Leo, Kyle, Melinda, Emma, Chris, half the world. Her knees gave out, and she and her nephew both fell with a thud to the floor.

Chris recovered and turned his head toward the woman now curled up on the attic floor, "Phoebe?"

Nothing.

"Aunt Phoebe!" Still no response.

The young witchlighter didn't know what had happened exactly. Perhaps it was Jason and Alex's deaths that had made her lose control. He didn't know. All the man did know was that she was gone. There was nothing he could do to help her. She was lost, trapped in an empath's hell.

Knowing he couldn't help her, Chris crawled away from her, using his only good arm to pull himself forward on the ground, his legs still useless due to effects of the attack. When he reached Alex, he took a shaky breath, putting his hand against the boy's neck. No pulse. His worst fear come to be. The father sobbed, his head resting on the unmoving chest of his son. He had lost Alex. Again. Only this time, there was no second chance. He had failed for the last time.

000

Wyatt raised an eyebrow as he saw the fifteen demons power up energy balls. "You're joking right?"

They threw the balls of death at once, all aiming at his head. He merely orbed out and back in. He rolled his eyes at their shocked faces. "Half whitelighter, remember? The whole circular trap thing doesn't really work all that well on us. Besides, you really think a bunch of you low levels can take me? I'm Twice Blessed, most powerful source of good and so on and so forth."

Lifting his hands he sent out an energy wave that took out half of the demons all at once. He turned to face the other half. "Boo!"

They all shimmered out.

"Amuses me every time."

He sighed then, "Now, to find my idiotic brother." He closed his eyes, but instead of sensing Chris' whereabouts he felt Kyle. The presence was close. Very close. What was a whitelighter doing in the underworld?

He orbed to the site, just in time to see Kyle vanquish a grimlock with a potion at the same time a darklighter arrow imbedded itself in his chest. The Uncle fell to the ground.

"No!" Wyatt let out a savage cry, flicking his hands this way and that until every demon present was dead. Then, he ran to his Uncle's side. The arrow had pierced the man's heart. The poison had killed him almost instantly. His hand shook as it hovered over the wound, refusing to glow the golden glow that meant the difference between life and death. He knew it was pointless before he had even attempted to heal Kyle. It still didn't stop the pain he felt at the loss of a member of his family, the frustration at having failed to save yet another person he cared about.

911

Bianca turned to face Chris, her face cold, unfeeling, but behind the mask her eyes shone with a softness and understanding that seemed to be the first true emotions she had ever revealed to the witchlighter. "You okay, kid?"

"I'm not a kid," Chris snapped, glaring at her from the corner of his eye.

She quirked an eyebrow, "Seventeen isn't a kid?"

Chris plopped down on the edge of her bed, "You didn't think of me as a kid when you were ripping my clothes off earlier."

The assassin grew visibly uncomfortable. She turned her back to him, digging through her drawer, pretending to be looking for something when in all actuality she just couldn't stand him giving her that intense look of his. Back still turned, she shot back, "You never answered my question. That couldn't have been easy for you. He was your uncle."

"Technically he was me," Chris replied his eyes drifting to her leather clad bottom without his permission. He shook his head, forcing himself to look elsewhere. "I mean, he is me from the future, you know that. So, I really just beat the hell out of myself. Nothing to feel guilty about there."

Bianca turned around, pulling an athame from the sock drawer. She tilted her head, arms folding in front of her chest. "He may be a you from the future, but you're still two different people. He helped raise you. Electrocuting him, seeing the pain you were causing. . .it's okay if you need a little time to deal. Shooting him with that low voltage energy ball made me feel like crap, and he's a stranger to me."

"We saved Alex, and set up an opportunity for me to vanquish Nyru. It was worth it," Chris said, flopping backwards on the bed.

The dark haired woman rolled her eyes, "Make yourself comfortable."

"I'm tired. I haven't used that much magic for a long time."

Bianca smiled as the teen put his arms behind his head, causing his shirt to rise up slightly revealing his finely tuned, picture perfect abs. Memories of passion and heat caused her to flush slightly. She swallowed, forcing herself to reply, "Yes, well, you are a formidable opponent."

Chris grinned at her joke. "Who'd have thought that would ever turn around and bite me in the ass?"

The young woman let out a short laugh.

Sitting up straight, Chris stared at her, his mouth quirking up. "Was that a laugh from the big bad grown up assassin?"

"How are you wounds doing?" She asked, all business again.

"Wounds? Just bruises and scratches really," he played along, noting the change in her demeanor, realizing he was having an unnerving affect on her and enjoying it.

"He tossed you into a table. And a wall. And a book shelf."

Chris shrugged, "I've been fighting demons since I was two. I've been tossed around a lot in my life. I'm fine."

"Do you think your futureself will figure out what you did?"

"For his and Aunt Anne's sake, I hope so."

A moment of silence passed. The male witch let out a deep breath. "You really think we can pull this off?"

"If you play it right."

Chris rolled his eyes, "Great. Convince my family's arch nemesis I want to be friends to save them and the world. No pressure there."

Bianca hid a smirk that threatened to emerge by asking, "Are you ready?"

The young man grew serious, "What choice do I have?"

"None. If you can't gain his trust, you'll never get close enough to find a way to vanquish him. If you fail, we're all dead."

"You really know how to motivate a guy you know that?" He responded sarcastically, following her as she shimmered to the underworld to begin their plan to put an end to Nyru once and for all.

000

Alex couldn't figure out what was going on. First he was dying. He knew it. He could feel it. Then, Chris shows up and Alex's would-be killer shimmers in next to him. Not only does his cousin not stop her as she put her hand back in his chest, causing the most excruciating pain the young witchlighter had ever felt in his life, but Chris threw some weird potion at him and then attacked Alex's father. Worse yet, as soon as Bianca had removed her hand, Alex tried to set her on fire, but nothing happened. His powers were completely gone. His only guess was that Chris had stripped them with the potion. Once he figured that out, he planned to help his father using his hand to hand skills, but his cousin had left with the leather clad killer before he could even get off the couch.

Things got even weirder after that. He had gone to his father's side, knowing how badly he was hurt and wanting to help him, but Phoebe had barged in then, nearly walking right into him. It was like she couldn't see him. Anyway, she started to help his dad up, when all the sudden she looked over to the sofa and freaked out, causing both her and his father to collapse onto the floor. He had been so shocked at her complete meltdown that he couldn't even move. He'd never seen any of his aunts look so broken before. It was like she had completely lost her mind.

Then, his dad started crawling over to the sofa. When he reached it, he put his head down on it and for the first time in his life, Alex saw his father cry. The teenager moved slowly to his side, kneeling next to his father. "Dad?"

"Alex," Chris got out between sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," Alex got out, "I acted like a total twat earlier. I know you love me. I was just being stupid. I was mad and confused. You're the best Dad ever, really. None of this is your fault."

Chris moved his hand over the sofa as though stroking some invisible object, "I failed you twice."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the strange gesture his father was making with his hand. Then turned his eyes back to the drowning green eyes of his father. "You didn't fail me, Dad. I'm healed, I think. Can't use my powers, but I feel fine. It's odd really. . ."

"I promised I would protect you. That I wouldn't let anyone hurt you," Chris wiped roughly at the tears that were falling. "I'm so sorry, Son."

The teenager sighed, "I said it isn't your fault. It's Bianca's fault. Chris' too. I mean seriously, what was wrong with him? When I see him I'm gonna kill him, powers or no."

"Oh, god," Anne's voice cut into the room. "Chris?"

Chris turned towards her, seeing his own pain reflected in her horrified face. As soon as she looked into her husband's eyes, her heart stopped. Chris rushed to her, barely catching her before she dropped to the floor. She shook her head, her sobs quickly soaking his shirt as she desperately clung to him.

Alex frowned, "Mom? Dad?"

"My baby," Anne sobbed, choking on her tears.

Chris stroked her soft black hair, just holding her close.

"You guys?" Alex questioned, panic rising in his chest. "Oh god, did something happen to Emma?"

Trying to control herself, Anne pulled away slightly. Her husband brushed the hair now matted to her face away as she asked, "H-how?"

Lowering his head in shame, Chris answered, "Me."

"Wh-what?" Anne questioned sharply.

The father swallowed the lump in his throat, "Annie, Bianca infected Alex, and she turned my past self evil. Chris was the one who killed Alex."

"No," She shook her head, the tears like melted water rolling from her cracking ice blue eyes as Chris held her.

Alex blinked. "I'm dead?"

tbc. . .


	35. Awakened

Thanks to everyone who is still reading!

CHAPTER 35

**Awakening**

"_I'm dead?"_

Alex couldn't believe it. Dead. Murdered by his own cousin– father– whatever. It was unreal. Whatever differences he and Chris had the young witchlighter had always assumed that his best friend was the last person on the planet to ever be a threat to his well being. Now, it seemed he had been wrong. Somehow and for whatever reason, Chris had killed him.

"Why would he do this?" Anne asked, her breath hitching as she sobbed into her husband's shoulder.

Chris squeezed his eyes shut. "Bianca."

"What do you mean?"

The father slowly opened his now red rimmed eyes, let out a breath, and replied, "I would assume because she seduced him. Instead of me turning her good like before, Bianca managed to turn Chris evil. He's helping Nyru now."

"Seduced?" Alex asked. "You mean Chris got shagged and it turned him into the prince of darkness?" His eyebrows raised, "Wow, sex really is a big deal."

Anne jumped to her feet, shaking her head, "That isn't possible. We've known Chris since he was a baby. We have watched that boy grow up into a fine young man. His turning for some little bimbo is just simply not feasible."

"She was my fiancee," Chris pointed out, a little offended at having his other true love called such an offensive name, but letting it slide due to the circumstances. "That connection is between them now. It isn't something that changes even when the time lines are tampered with. Besides, I saw him do it. Hell, he attacked me."

The mother turned away from him, turning to look at the body of her son, so still, so pale on the couch. She moved slowly toward him. Kneeling by his side, she lifted his lifeless hand, holding the cooling extremity in her warm ones. New tears started to fall. She tried to fight them but failed, "I can't believe he's really gone."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better I apparently have unfinished business. . .probably going to spend my after life making Chris' life hell," Alex muttered bitterly. "Yes, that sounds positively lovely."

Chris slowly, painfully rose and limped to the Book of Shadows, telekinetically flipping through the pages of the ancient tome.

"What are you doing?" Anne asked, wiping away the tears.

Alex moved over to stand next to his father, "Yeah, what are you doing?"

"Trying to find something to help Phoebe," Chris replied without looking up.

Anne frowned, "Help Phoebe?"

Chris pointed over to his catatonic aunt, still not looking up, "She lost control of her empathy when she saw that. . ." he trailed off, unable to say that his son was dead out loud. Instead, he continued flipping until he found what he thought might be useful.

"Hey, aren't witches supposed to be able to see ghosts?" Alex wondered aloud. He turned to his father, "Why can't you see me?"

". . .anyway, I'm hoping there's something in here to relieve her empathy for a while. I figure that she'll snap out of it once she only has to deal with her own feelings. After all, we're gonna need the Power of Three if we have any hope of surviving."

Still crying, unable to stop, Anne only was able to speak due to the anger and resentment she felt for her spouse who seemed unaffected by the death of their child. "How did this happen? Why is our family falling apart, and how can you just stand there looking through that book as though none of it is happening?"

Her husband looked up from the book, sighed, opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head then returned his attention to the spell, jotting something down on a pad of paper resting on the alter.

"How can you be so calm when our _son just died_?"

Chris flinched, but didn't look up. "I can't afford to not be calm. None of us can. You've got to be strong. Otherwise no one is gonna make it out of this alive."

"What a lovely thing to say," Anne wept, her blue eyes flashing, "we've lost our son, and all you can say now is to be strong. How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that? How? Part of my heart and soul has been stolen. Yours too. . .at least I thought so, but you act like you don't even care he's gone."

"Mom!" Alex cried, "Of course he cares." As usual no one heard him.

Chris slammed the cover closed, his green eyes dark with a coldness that Anne nor Alex had ever seen before. It sent a shiver up her spine and Alex found himself wanting to put himself between his parents, worried that something horrible was about to happen. When Chris did approach her, his limp barely noticeable, Anne instinctively backed away. Her husband seemed a man possessed. He hoisted her up off the floor, pulled her toward the attic door. The witchlighter flung open the door, released his tight hold and pointed through the door. "Get out."

Alex's eyes grew wide, "Dad? What's the matter with you?" The boy finally ran to his mother's side, his eyes looking in shock at his father,"You didn't turn evil too did you, Dad?"

"I want you to take Emma and get the hell out of here," Chris growled out. "Do you hear me? Leave. Go as far away from me and my family as you can. Change your names. Change your appearance. Never contact me again."

Anne could only mimic her son's wide eyed expression, "Wh-what?"

Without looking, Chris telekinetically summoned a potion from the cabinet, "Have Emma drink this."

"Hey wait a sec," Alex started putting things together, "that's a power binding potion. The sisters made it for that half-demon friend of Wyatt's. It'd bind Emma's powers and demons wouldn't be able to sense her anymore. You're pushing Mum and Emma away to protect them from Nyru, aren't you, Dad?"

Anne stared at the potion, uncomprehending, "What is it?"

"I wouldn't give anything to Emma that would hurt her," Chris answered vaguely.

Alex shook his head in amazement, "No, just bind part of who she is. You can't do that to Em."

Anne studied her lover's eyes, saw the unwavering frost in their dark green depths. Saw the hard line of his set jaw. There would be no changing his mind. Something had snapped in the man she loved. He was different. Someone she couldn't recognize any longer. Knowing this, she reluctantly held out her hand to receive the vial.

"No!" Alex reached out knocking the potion out of his father's hand without even thinking. He watched in shock as it actually worked, the blue potion smashing onto the hardwood floor. He stared at his hand, "Is that normal?"

Chris instinctively turned in the direction of the force he had felt smack his hand. He couldn't see anything, but being a Halliwell he knew enough not to trust his eyes. With magic involved, anything was possible. "Who's there?"

"Me!" Alex shouted, waving his hand right in front of his dad's nose.

"Chris?" Anne asked, her voice still quivering.

"Magic that hides, by these words abide. Allow the eyes to see what cannot be."

A white wave washed the room, blinding the two adults for a moment. When they were able to focus once more, what they saw astounded them. The body on the couch that they had mourned over became transparent, appearing like a hologram. Pieces of broken glass lay over by the couch instead. Most importantly and shocking, their son thought dead stood before them, whole and very very much alive.

"Is he real?" Anne asked, afraid it was a trick.

Chris rushed toward his son, pulling him into a tight embrace, tears filling his eyes again, "You're ok. Thank God, you're ok."

Alex blinked. And blinked. Then blinked some more. "Uh. . .what is going on? I thought you guys said I was dead?"

"We were tricked," Chris said smiling as he pulled away from his son, cupping the teen's face in hands. "Thank God it was all an illusion."

Anne swallowed, still not trusting her eyes, "Illusion?"

"Just look at the body," Chris replied turning to his wife, pointing over to the couch, "the spell I cast is to show what can't be. One of its affects is to show the truth behind illusions. What our minds told us was there isn't actually there. Our son is alive and well, and that's the honest truth."

"But how– ?"

"–Chris," The future counter-part responded. "He's half elder. It's one of the powers he has that I don't." He turned to his son, "He was the one to throw that potion at you wasn't he?"

"Yeah, it stripped my powers."

Chris shook his head, "No, Bianca did that when she saved your life. It's how she cures the infection. The potion must be what made you invisible to and unheard by us. Then he cast an illusion to make me see you die and the corresponding body we could touch."

"Why would he do that?" Anne asked.

The eldest witchlighter let out a breath, "I honestly don't know. Maybe he just couldn't go through with killing Alex, but needed Nyru to think he had. Probably wasn't too hard to convince Bianca to heal Alex considering she still gets Chris on her side and the credit for the kill."

"Wait, so Chris may not be evil?" Alex asked confused.

"I don't know, but if he was, wouldn't I be?" His father answered.

The son gestured to the spilled binding potion, "Maybe not evil, but definitely stupid. How could you consider binding Emma's powers, Dad? It's part of who we are, which is what you have drilled into our heads since forever."

"It's for your own good," Chris answered, the strange glint back in his eye.

Alex gave him a questioning look, "What do you mean by that?"

"You're leaving with them."

The teen shook his head, "No way."

"No choice," Chris answered, gesturing at both he and Anne, sending them off to England, to a small flat where his mother-in-law resided. He swallowed hard, "It's for the best, Son. I can't lose you again. I won't lose any of you."

Gesturing for another potion, having it sail into his hand, Chris orbed into the room he felt his daughter resting in. When he saw her still form, the pained expression on her face, he knew in his heart that what he was doing was the unselfish thing. It was what would keep his family alive, healthy. They'd have a chance for the kind of normalcy and peace that he would never be allotted.

"Uncle Chris?" Melinda asked groggily.

Chris smiled softly at Phoebe's daughter. It seemed Melinda had dosed off and was just now waking. She was better off sleeping, "Go back to sleep, Mel. Everything is going to be fine."

The girl sniffled, her eyes falling shut without another word. The land of dreams was much more tempting than the real world right now anyway.

Lifting his daughter's head, Chris slowly opened her mouth, tilted her head back and poured the potion into her throat. Gently he tapped the front of her neck causing her to swallow. He held her then, stroking her hair. "You'll be okay now, Angel."

The little girl's eyes fluttered open, the weight of the magical load she had been carrying easing away, her mind able to float back to reality now. Though, the emotional trauma she had suffered could not be so easily fixed. Her eyes were focused on air. The normally bright blue was void.

Chris shook her lightly, "Emma?"

Nothing.

He pulled her closer, "What happened to you? Oh, God."

"Daddy?"

Chris looked down into the empty blue eyes, "Baby?"

"If you kill him, you'll die."

The father frowned, carefully he asked, "Kill who, Angel?"

"I can't see it anymore," Emma answered, her voice distant. "It's all gone now."

Chris understood. She was talking about a vision, probably a very powerful vision, maybe one that was the cause for her current delicate state. He'd taken away her burden, but now she couldn't tell him what she saw. It wasn't there anymore and her mind was too damaged at the moment to remember it or even want to.

He kissed the top of her head, "It's ok. Don't worry about it. Everything'll be fine."

When he sensed Wyatt orb into the attic, Chris laid his daughter back down on the bed. He kissed her forehead, "Wyatt will have the power to heal your pain, and then you can go with mom and Alex."

Orbing into the attic, he found Wyatt trying to heal Phoebe, growling in frustration when the golden glow did nothing to help her. He looked up at the sound of the jingling bells, "What happened to her?"

"She lost control of her empathy," Chris answered.

Wyatt closed his eyes, covering the petite woman's hand with his.

"What are you doing?"

The blonde jerked backwards suddenly, as though burned. He looked up, blue eyes full with tears, his face carved into one of pure horror. "They're all dead. All of them."

"Who?" Chris asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"Kyle, Alex, Jason, Aunt Paige," Wyatt grabbed his head, his own empathy rearing up as his emotions slipped. Tears slipped down his face.

"Kyle and Aunt Paige too?"

Wyatt nodded, biting down on his lip to stop from screaming at the pain he was being overwhelmed with. "Oh, God, all the pain..."

Chris quickly caught on to what was happening. Being in such close proximity to another empath– one that was having a breakdown of their walls, was causing Wyatt's mental shields to slip too, which was especially easy considering how much pain the Twice Blessed was in already. What truly made matters worse was that in effect he was starting to feed off all the emotions Phoebe was feeling too and when Phoebe screamed out, Chris knew that the two were actually feeding off each other. Two empaths without mental walls right next to one another. . .if he didn't do something, they'd both die from the overwhelming anguish.

"Shit," He closed his eyes trying to think, "Power to feel another's pain, I now revoke. . .to rest they shall be lain. . . until again I do invoke."

The two empaths stopped screaming. Wyatt looked up at Chris, "My empathy. . .it's gone. What'd you do?"

"Don't worry, it's not permanent," the uncle assured him. "Once this is all over you can call for your powers and it'll return."

Phoebe gasped, her previously squeezed shut eyes opening wide once more. She gazed around, her brown depths revealing her confusion. "What's going on? Why'd the pain stop?"

"Chris removed our empathy for a little while," Wyatt answered, "so that we don't go crazy. Again. Some more. Whatever."

The Charmed One rose to her feet with the help of her nephews. She turned to Chris, noticing the illusion on the couch, "It was an illusion?"

"Long story," Chris replied.

"Yes or no; is Alex ok?"

Chris nodded, "He's fine. I orbed him and Anne to her mother's house for the time being. They'll be safe there. Alex doesn't have his powers at the moment because Bianca stripped them, so no demons will sense them."

"They agreed to that?" Wyatt questioned.

"No," Chris shook his head, "but at this point, what they want doesn't concern me. I have to do what I need to do to save them and the rest of this family."

"Chris," Phoebe began, her temper covering her fear, "what do you think you're doing? You can't take on the weight of this battle on your own. You– "

Chris cut her off, a rage in his eyes she had never seen before making her back down, "– I'm the only one who can end this. I took on the weight of the world before, Phoebe. I can handle this. Nyru wants a war, fine. I've been a commander of the biggest war ever fought against the most powerful being to have ever lived. I can and I will be that commander again. Nyru will pay for what he's done to our family. I'll make sure of that if that's the last thing I do."

Wyatt opened his mouth, but one look from his Aunt told him it was best not to say a word for now. This was a Chris neither of them had dealt with before. This was a Chris that was capable of anything. One wrong move and he could explode.

tbc. . .


	36. Sacrifices

**Thanks to everyone that's reading!**

**CHAPTER 36**

**Sacrifices **

As Piper and Leo reformed from the swirl of bright orbs in the middle of the conservatory, the newest member of their family sleeping peacefully in her aunt's arms, they could hear a voices coming from somewhere upstairs. Piper recognized the female as Phoebe, and one of the men as her oldest son, and guessed the other to be her oldest Chris since Wyatt had called him home earlier.

Leo's cry of pain took her from her thoughts, and she turned to him, her face full of fear and worry, "Leo? What's wrong? What's happening?"

"K-kyle," the Elder breathed out.

Piper fell back onto the love seat. Her face was blank, but her eyes were stricken with a pain that appeared so intense that no words could describe its depth. She looked down at the baby, tears falling from her deep brown eyes and onto the child's pink cotton blanket. When the eldest Charmed One raised her head, her face was still emotionless, but stained with tears that wouldn't stop. "She's an orphan isn't she?"

As Leo's pain subsided, signaling the end of Kyle's pain and life, the Elder nodded, his own eyes filling with tears. He wiped them away. Seeing his wife already broken, he knew he couldn't join her in the pit of despair. Someone had to take control. He sat down beside his spouse, put his arm around her. When she leaned her head onto his chest, Leo stroked her hair and tried to come up with any words of comfort, "He and Paige are together now. Looking down on us and their daughter from a much better place."

"A better place?" Piper scoffed, "What about this place? Everyone is _dying_, Leo. What are we supposed to do? We don't know where Nyru is. We don't know how to vanquish him." She shook her head sadly, "We aren't going to get through this one, Leo. This time it's different. I can feel it."

"Hey, don't talk like that," Leo scolded. "We can't give up. Jason, Paige and Kyle wouldn't want us to. They'd want us to keep up the fight for them." Leo lifted up a corner of the baby's blanket, revealing the sweet, innocent little face, "Someone has to protect the next generation."

Piper bit her lower lip in an attempt to quell her tears and settle her nerves. She turned her attention to the baby and smiled at the tiny little girl, who chose that moment to open her big bright eyes. Piper's breath hitched as she saw her baby sister in the tiny face. It was then that she realized what she had to do.

"They shouldn't have to pay for our mistake," Piper thought aloud. Handing the child to Leo, she moved to the door.

"Where are you going?" Leo asked, suddenly worried about her quick change of attitude.

Piper turned at the door, looking back at him. The look in her normally soft brown eyes, increased his worry. It was the look she and her sisters always got when they were about to do something risky. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to save the kids."

Without further explanation she moved through the door. Her husband could hear her footsteps as she marched up the stairs toward the attic.

Leo looked down at the wide-eyed infant in his arms, "She said for the kids...for you and for your cousins. Not everyone...just the kids." The Elder looked up towards where the love of his life had been standing only a moment before, "Think we should go keep an eye on her?"

The baby blinked.

"Yeah, me too."

Upstairs in Emma's room, Pheobe and Chris were watching anxiously as Wyatt reached into his niece's mind, gently probing for the source of her pain, so that he could help her release it.

"Is it working?" Chris asked his Aunt.

Phoebe nodded, "Wyatt's powerful magically and emotionally enough to handle whatever it is she saw. I can feel him becoming only slightly more upset, while she has become more calm. It should be done soon from the feel of things."

After a moment, Wyatt opened his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to recenter himself. Once he was feeling more grounded he looked up at the adults and both could see the added layer of doubt and pain in his eyes. He swallowed, his voice shaky when he began to explain what he saw, "It was bad. Really bad. Death everywhere. Me. Alex. You two. Dad. Mom. All thanks to Nyru."

"Tell me how they die," Chris ordered.

Wyatt and Phoebe exchanged concerned glances before the Twice Blessed answered, "Well, Alex was supposed to die with the whole Bianca thing. He used his powers too much and the infection killed him. I guess some of the premonition has been altered."

"Go on," the older man urged.

The blonde witchlighter sighed, "Uh, ok...Phoebe was supposed to die from her empathy–again changed. I was supposed to kill myself, but since your younger version pointed out that I was being influenced by an astral projection, I don't see myself falling for it again. Mom was battling Nyru...alone and completely hysterical. She lost."

"I can sense Piper up in the attic," Phoebe answered, "she's actually uncharacteristically calm." She frowned, "maybe I should go check on her."

Chris nodded, "Go. Make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

Phoebe opened her mouth to reprimand him for speaking about his mother that way and for bossing her around, but when Wyatt shot her a look, she closed her mouth again, taking a deep breath to make sure nothing slipped out. "Ookay. Just let me know when Melinda wakes up, until then I'll be with Piper."

After Phoebe had left, Chris gestured for his brother to continue, "Dad?"

"Dad actually had a heart attack. I think he literally died of a heart_ache._"

Chris nodded, absorbing this, "Well, if mom is ok then he probably will be too. More changes. This is good. What about mini-me?"

"Actually, he didn't die. . .he killed an innocent. At least, I think it was an innocent. I just can't believe my little brother–err–you would do that." Wyatt held up a hand before his uncle/brother could question him further, "I didn't see anything else in her mind about him. However, you on the other hand– "

"– It doesn't matter," Chris cut him off, "I don't need to know. I've got all the information I do need for now."

Wyatt frowned, "What do you mean you don't need to know? You _die_, Uncle Chris. That's kinda something you should be forewarned about. How can you not want to know what happens so you can change it?" The Twice Blessed paused, a light visibly turning on in his mind, "Oh God. You don't care if you die. "

Chris' green eyes grew stormy, his face rigid, "If a sacrifice has to be made, I'm willing to be the one who makes it. I've done it before. So drop– "

"– Mmm...Daddy?" Emma's tiny voice interrupted the conversation. Her blue eyes fluttered open, much clearer than they had been only little earlier.

Chris' face softened only slightly as he moved to his daughter's side, "I'm right here, Emma."

The little girl smiled weakly, "I feel better."

"Wyatt helped you," her father explained.

Emma turned her head to look at Wyatt who was on her other side, "Thanks, Wy."

Wyatt grinned back at his cousin, for the first time realizing that she was biologically speaking his niece. For some reason that made him want to protect her even more than usual. She was his brother's little girl. Weird. Not bad. Just different. He brushed the hair from her face, "Anytime, Squirt."

"Okay, Angel, I'm gonna orb you to your Grandma Cramer's. Your mom and brother are there already," Chris prepped her.

Emma scrunched up her nose, "Why can't I orb myself?"

"Because you don't have any powers any more," Chris answered.

Before she could ask why, before any kind of guilt could set in, the father quickly told her he loved her more than anything then sent her on her orbing way with a reluctant wave of his hand. He never even got to hear her say she loved him too.

Wyatt shifted nervously.

"What now?" Chris snapped.

The Twice Blessed sighed, "Was that really necessary? I mean, Alex and Aunt Anne have got to be fuming, and Emma is gonna be really upset that you bound her powers and sent her away too. I mean, mom always tells us that family sticks together. Didn't she ever tell you that?"

"Yeah," Chris replied bitterly, "right before she died in my arms."

Wyatt's eyes became saucers, his mouth falling open, "Wh-what?"

Chris let out a breath, knowing full well how uncalled for that little comment was. Wyatt was just worried. Rightly so too. Chris could feel himself slipping, and it did scare him. However, in the long run, he was more scared of losing everything he had worked so hard, sacrificed so much for. So, he didn't apologize. He didn't explain.

"Uncle Chris, what are you talking about? Mom...died in your time?" Wyatt shook his head still numb with the news, "How?"

"She didn't die this time. She didn't bleed all over the kitchen or me in this lifetime, so it doesn't matter. What does matter is vanquishing Nyru before he can do anymore damage. We need to take the offensive," Chris answered, trying to forget how it had been Nyru then too that had torn his family to shreds. "The only way to do that is to find him."

Wyatt could only blink at the coldness coming from a man that had helped raise him. He could never in a million years have thought his Uncle so unfeeling. Granted his idea of who Chris was happened to be changing at light speed as of late, but this...it just didn't click. This was a man that had told him and his little brother bedtime stories about far off places and little princes that always saved the day. A man that had chased them around the house when they were kids. Helped them escape punishments from the parents. The very same man that had taught them all they ever needed to know about women. A man who bestowed upon them advice about love, loss and life...so much wisdom shared and all with a gentle understanding. This man that could speak of his own mother's death so nonchalantly? This wasn't the Chris Halliwell he had grown up with.

"I need you to stay here and protect the others," Chris continued, breaking into his younger-older brother's thoughts.

The Twice Blessed frowned, "Where will you be?"

"Getting in touch with some old contacts."

Melinda stirred in her sleep but didn't wake.

"Uncle Chris, I don't think that's a. . ."

"– Remember to let Aunt Phoebe know when she wakes up," Chris reminded the other man before orbing to the underworld.

". . .a very good idea," The young witchlighter finished. Wyatt glared at the spot the other man had been standing just moments before, "I hate when people orb away in the middle of a conversation. It's rude."

000

Bianca took a steadying breath, nervously clenching and unclenching her hands. She was currently trying not to pace in the rendevous point Nyru used when meeting with his minions. It was a large open space in a cavern, well lighted for the underworld's standards. Only a seeing pool and a table with two chairs occupied the area. Bianca recognized her family's grimoire sitting on the table, still opened to the spell she had cast on Wyatt earlier. Nyru hadn't been back since. For some reason, that made her even more nervous.

She glanced over at her companion, who was leaning against the wall, trying not to look scared out of his mind. He would have succeeded with a normal audience, but Bianca's training helped her see and hear what other's didn't. For instance, his eyes were steely, a marked change from his usual mischievous light green, he kept fidgeting his feet and she could hear a slightly different rhythm and depth to his breathing. Still, she had to say she was impressed at the facade he created.

"How much longer?" he asked, noticing her looking at him.

"I don't know."

Chris grinned, "Think we should be in position when he arrives?"

"Position?" the assassin asked archly.

Pushing himself off the wall, the witchlighter moved toward her, the smirk still on his face, "Well, you did turn me evil by seducing me..."

"...so, we should look cozy," Bianca finished for him.

"You having second thoughts? Because if you're not up for this..." Chris added, attempting to push her buttons.

Without warning, she captured his mouth with hers, kissing him with a passion that would have convinced anyone that it was real. Which, although she didn't want to admit it, Bianca thought it might have been. Especially when she found she really didn't want to end the embrace, but rather felt an urge to take it even further. The feelings she had for this mere teenage boy frightened her and excited her but most of all confused her. How could she feel so intensely for someone she had only just met? Especially someone five years her junior. It didn't make sense.

"By all means, don't mind me," a deep, slithering voice said.

The pair pulled apart, and Bianca spotted Nyru's other commander, Gon, one of the mysterious demons he had sanctioned as his personal minions so many years earlier. Gon was the toughest and most trusted of the scythe demons. It seemed Nyru didn't trust Bianca's word alone that she had turned Chris. She gave him a disgusted glance up and down, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to test the boy before he meets Nyru," Gon answered. "You wouldn't expect our Master to trust a Halliwell, would you? Too dangerous."

Chris stepped forward, exuding a hate that he didn't have to fake, "You wanna test me, Pasty? Then do it and stop wasting my time. I've lived far too long fighting for a worthless cause when I could have been using my magic to have a little fun." He winked at Bianca.

The woman smiled at his answer. The kid was good. He would have made an excellent assassin. "All right, Gon, you heard him. What's the test?"

"To kill a good witch," Gon answered with near glee.

Bianca looked over at her companion, trying to gauge his reaction. His face faltered until he caught her eyes. Then, it was as if he had taken some of her strength because he quickly recovered and nodded affirmative. The Phoenix returned her attention to the scythe demon, "Well, you got your answer. He's in."

"I'll go fetch her. Don't go anywhere," the demon ordered as he shimmered out.

Chris let out a breath, "That wasn't so bad."

"You have to kill a witch, Chris," Bianca argued, "how is that not so bad?"

The witchlighter grinned, "I don't have to kill anyone. Illusions are my forte, remember?"

Before Bianca could respond, the demon had shimmered back in with a pretty blonde in tow. She was struggling in his grasp, crying and screaming for help. Her blue eyes locked on Chris. Bianca noticed something flash on his face...recognition. She swallowed down the sudden dread. Nyru had chosen someone that Chris knew. She knew he had studied all of them, but to what extent she had never known. If he was able to choose someone that he knew for this task, then he must know about the teen's ability to create illusions.

"Go on, slit her throat," Gon said, tossing Chris a dagger.

"Chris?" The blonde croaked, looking horrified and confused.

Chris ignored her, speaking to Gon, "Why can't I just strangle her or make her heart explode? It's less messy, and this shirt is new."

The girl's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

Bianca feared she already knew what Gon was going to say. She ended up being right.

"Because, magic doesn't work in this room. Nyru made sure of it. Didn't want you doing any illusions."

Chris swallowed, looking over at Bianca for guidance. His nerve was slipping fast. He didn't know what to do. If he couldn't use illusions it meant he really had to choose whether to kill the woman to get to Nyru and save his family and probably the world or blow his cover and save her, and winding up killing Bianca's mother in the process. One innocent for another plus whatever other beings Nyru was going to hurt in the future.

"Chris, please help me," the blonde begged.

The witchlighter slowly approached her. He stared down into her sea blue eyes. Took her face in his hands and lightly brushed his lips against hers. It was a soft kiss, slow and meaningful.

Bianca turned her eyes away, unable to watch. Instead, she turned to look at Gon, who still seemed far too overjoyed. What did the demon know she didn't? Was it because he was so confident she and Chris were trapped? That regardless of his decision he got to kill something? Or was there more to the situation? There sure seemed to be given the kiss.

Chris slowly parted, wiped her tears of fear away gently with his thumb. He then moved to whisper in her ear, "I'll always love you, Kat. Please forgive me." And in a flash the dagger moved across her throat, killing her instantly.

The demon applauded, "Well, done. Nyru will be pleased." He turned to Bianca, handing her a slip of paper, "Nyru will meet you both here. The block will be lifted shortly after I leave, then you can shimmer out."

"Where are you going?" Bianca questioned warily.

"I have some business to take care of." Without further elaboration, he shimmered out again.

Bianca turned to find Chris on his knees, holding the still bleeding body of the girl. Blood was everywhere. A puddle around the girl, splatters all over, and most strikingly on Chris' hands. He was crying now that the demon wasn't there to see the weakness. Silently sobbing over the body really.

The Phoenix moved to his side, dropping down next to him, "Chris?"

He stroked the dead girl's face lovingly, blood smearing her perfect peach skin. The witchlighter squeezed shut his eyes, "What have I done? Oh God, what have I done?" He gagged and had to move away, hurling onto the cold hard floor until long after he had nothing left to throw up.

A hand moved circles on his back, "It's ok. Get it all out. You'll feel better."

"I'll never _feel better_," Chris answered darkly once the urge to heave had subsided. He sat back on his heels. "I'm a killer."

"So am I," Bianca replied, "sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason. It still is wrong, but the other options are even worse. Nyru will destroy your family if you don't stop him. The only way to stop him is to get close enough to do so, and that meant killing her. Besides, you really think she would have lived even if you had decided to try to save her? We were without magic in Nyru's domain. We all would have died, along with my mother and your family."

Chris was still shaking, "You don't get it. She wasn't just some girl to me. Some faceless, nameless somebody. I just murdered my first love."

"I'd say sorry but I doubt you want to hear that right now, so I won't."

The young man didn't say anything, merely staring at his dead lover, trying not to let himself be over come by his emotions again. It was hard as all the memories he had of the young woman came washing over him, replaying over and over like some old movie set on a loop. Her smiling at him. Her teasing him. Her kissing him. Them making love for the first time. . .

". . .I will tell you to get a grip and fast though."

Chris' head whipped up, not having expected that, "What?"

"If you don't, her death will have been in vain." She extended a hand to help him up, "We have to go meet Nyru. I suggest you channel the pain, turn it into anger and take it out on him when the opportunity presents itself."

Chris nodded in agreement, but even as he wiped off his face with the back of sleeve and he and Bianca shimmered out to meet with Nyru, he felt broken. Numb. Like nothing mattered anymore because everything he had once believed about himself and about the world had just been shattered and all the king's horses and all the king's men wouldn't be able to put Chris Halliwell back together again.

tbc. . .


	37. Taking Back What Was Lost

Thanks to everyone reading!

CHAPTER 37

**Taking Back What Was Lost**

Chris Halliwell glanced around the Underworld Tavern, his eyes sharp as he studied each of the other patrons, analyzing them, determining in half a moment whether or not they could know anything about Nyru or his minions. A few possibilities had emerged so far. A dark haired woman with deep chocolate eyes, olive skin and a figure to kill. Yet, for all that nobody was near her. A looker like that all alone was a sign of power and respect. She was an upper level demon, no doubt. Chris made a mental note of her immediately. The other patron that had caught his attention was a dark skinned demon wearing a business suit. Chris recognized him as some politician from the paper. Another upper level that he would keep tabs on.

"Hey there cutie."

The witchlighter turned toward the soft soprano voice to find himself face to face with the upper level female demon he had spotted earlier. He hadn't seen her move. He assumed she teleported over. For a brief moment, the idea of a demon choosing him out of a crowd worried him, but he remembered he was currently glamoured to look like a blonde haired blue-eyed surfer type in his twenties, so there was no way anyone could recognize him. Perhaps she was just lonely? Could work to his advantage.

"Hey back."

The demon grinned, "I know you."

"Oh?" Chris kept his voice unconcerned. "How's that? I'm pretty sure I'd remember a pretty demon like you."

"The name is Meia. I'm a seer. A powerful one. If the Source were still around I'd probably be working for him," She went on, sounding rather bubbly for a demon. She winked, "Meaning I know who you are. I saw it."

"Is that so?" Chris' hand moved slowly toward the inner pocket of his black leather coat, where he had a few potions stored just in case.

Meia rolled her eyes, "Oh, don't go getting all paranoid with the potions, Chris. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

Finally, letting the mask of calm slip, Chris leaned forward, his jade eyes just slits of anger as he pulled her forward by her purple cloak strings, "Give me one good reason not to vanquish you. Tell me who sent you. What are you after?"

"Nobody sent me, and like I already said, I want to help. Geesh, get a grip would ya?" She brushed his hands away as he let his grip loosen. Then, flipping back her long mane of hair, she continued, "My twin sister was a seer, too. She told me she was going to your family for help because she knew she was going to die. She liked you guys from what her visions showed her. Said you were good people. For some reason she was fascinated with good. Especially your aunt Phoebe, the one with the visions like us. I guess in the end her and your aunt got to be friends. Innywho, when I heard how your family tried to protect her, I promised myself that if ever an occasion came up where I could return the favor I would. So I am."

Chris blinked, completely thrown off by her attitude, "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I mean I know she died and all, but I figure your family at least tried. Besides, chances are all you guys are gonna die too, but I can at least try to stop it, right?"

Chris was truly shocked. For once, his family's long history of trying to save people was actually going to do some good. For once, someone actually appreciated everything his family did and was repaying the favor. He decided to take advantage of the rare gift, "How can you stop it?"

The pretty demon smiled, "I got a really great vision about Nyru. Well, one of his hench-demons anyway. The guy's name is Gon. He's one of those demons with the tattoos that don't get much sun. He came in here yesterday, and he got a little too close to me, and I got a flash that showed me where he is going to be in a few minutes from now, and I figure you can get the drop on him. Force him to take you where you need to go."

"Where?" Chris asked, the desperation leaking into his voice.

Meia rolled her eyes, "I was getting there. He's going after some old British woman. Gon kills her in this yellow painted room, and there's a rolling pin that says Cramer's kitchen." Off Chris' drastically paling skin, " I get the feeling that means something to you?"

Without responding, Chris orbed out.

000

"Wyatt! Grandpa Leo! Anybody that can orb get your butts over here and take us back!" Alex screamed at the top of his lungs at the ceiling. When no one came, the teenager leaned his head back against the wall, sliding down it. He put his head on his knees, "Bugger."

Anne stood in the doorway watching him with sad eyes, "I know how you feel."

Lifting his head, Alex shook it slowly, "How could he do this to us? How?"

"He is terrified," the mother answered, taking a seat next to her son, "your dad thinks he is protecting us by sending us away. I absolutely loathe that he feels it necessary to push us all away like this, but I do see the reasoning behind it. I want to protect you and your sister as well, and perhaps, having you two away from the problem is for the best."

Alex glared at his mother, "We could be helping."

"Your sister is not doing well, and you nearly died," Anne countered.

The boy let out a breath, "Fine. So I can see why he might be crazy-scared enough to do this, but I can't agree with it. Besides, he had no right to bind Emma's powers, and he should have helped restore mine before shipping us off. Being witches is part of who we are, and Dad had no right to deny us that heritage."

"Demons would have sensed you, and the whole point was to save you two."

Alex opened his mouth to respond when all of the sudden orb lights filtered down through his bedroom ceiling forming into his little sister. He ran to her side, "Emma? You ok?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, her blue eyes fluttering open as she sat up on the bed, "just confused. Why'd dad send us all here? And how come I can't sense anything? Or orb?"

Her brother turned to his mother, "You wanna explain it to her, or should I?"

"Explain what?" Emma asked nervously.

Anne stroked her daughter's dark hair lovingly, relieved that her little girl was ok, "Your father must have healed you then stripped your powers and sent you here–to Grandma Cramer's– in order to protect you–us– from Nyru."

"Oh."

A pregnant pause followed before Emma asked, "When is Dad coming for us?"

"I..." the mother hesitated, her mind wondering something she never thought she would even have to consider...that maybe Chris wouldn't be back. The way he had been acting–cold, distanced, angry– how he told her to take the children, change the names, and never contact him or his family, maybe he wasn't just saying it all in a moment of fear. . .maybe her husband was going to abandon them. However, looking into her little girl's big blue eyes, Anne couldn't voice her concern. So, she lied, "He'll be back as soon as he can."

"Bollocks," Alex challenged, rising to his feet. "I heard what he said to you, and now, with what he's done I don't think he plans to come for us. Ever. You hesitated, so you must think it too."

"Alex, enough."

Emma's gaze shifted between her brother and her mother, her eyes welling up with tears, "Daddy would never leave us." She fixed her sights on her brother, saw his anger fading into sorrow and her bottom lip started to tremble, "Alex? Daddy wouldn't leave us, right? He loves us. He sent us here for protection, like mum said." Tears started to trickle down her cheeks, "He loves us."

"Yeah, I was just being dumb," Alex amended, wrapping his arms around the petite girl, his head resting on hers. "Dad sent us here because he loves us, and when he fixes everything, he'll come for us, and everything will be like it was before."

Anne caught the sadness in her son's eyes, and she knew then that her oldest child knew nothing could ever be the same again. Too much had happened. The loss was all around them, and the deaths just kept compiling. No one was going to go unchanged. Her husband was already morphed into a different person all together. Something had broken within him, and she honestly did not know what he would do. She only prayed that the love of her life was safe. As long as he was safe, she could fight to bring him back from whatever cliff edge he was falling from.

A scream of horror cut through the apartment, and before she knew what she was doing, Anne was on her feet, as well as Alex. The mother turned to her son, "There's a dagger in the drawer. Stay here and protect your sister."

Alex nodded, immediately heading over to the drawer and pulling out the weapon.

Once her son had the dagger, Anne tore out of the room, down the hallway. Hearing sounds of a struggle coming from the kitchen, she turned left, pushing open the door slowly and staying low, hiding around the corner of the refrigerator. Peeking around it, the woman saw something that made her heart clench so tightly she thought she may pass out from the pain.

Her mother was laying face up on the tile floor, her kindly blue eyes frozen open in terror, the cause of her death the large bloody burn of an energy ball in her now unmoving chest. The attacker was standing over her, his moon-pale face shining with pride as he smiled down on his latest victim.

Anne glanced around the room, spotting the kitchen knives, she moved slowly, trying to avoid detection. Her hand reached up, fingering the butcher knife. Carefully she slipped it out of the block. Remembering everything Chris had taught her about fighting demons, Anne knew her best chance was to take him by surprise. So, taking aim, she prepared to throw the knife into his chest, but just as she made to do so, one of her children sneezed.

A smirk grew on the monster's face.

"No!" Anne rose up from her hiding spot, fear for her children causing her to panic, and react without thinking. An energy ball headed straight for her, and would have killed her instantly had orb lights not appeared in front of her, and an outstretched hand hadn't redirected the attack to hit the wall instead.

"You," Gon commented, "I didn't expect you to figure it out."

Chris took a step forward, "Yeah, well in a second you won't be expecting anything anymore." The witchlighter raised a hand, tightening it into a fist, causing the demon to grab his throat and slowly sink to the floor as his air supply lessened and lessened. Just as Gon was about to meet his maker, Chris let up, "One simple answer could save your life."

"I'll never tell you anything."

"You so sure about that?" Chris flicked his hand, causing the demon's inner left thigh to explode.

Gon cried out in pain.

"Next time I move a little further left, and you can kiss your family jewels good-bye."

The demon's eyes grew wide in the most pure terror imaginable. "No! Not that! _Anything_ but that!"

"Where is Nyru?" Chris questioned, his hand poised and just itching to make someone else feel the pain he and his family was feeling.

Gon held up his hands, "It's cloaked from good magic, but I can take you there. He's meeting your past self and Bianca there right now."

Chris moved to the demon, grabbed him by the hair, "Shimmer. Now."

"Chris, wait," Anne moved toward him, grabbing his arm, her pain stained face begging him silently. "My mum...and then this demon...I can't protect them, and you've made it so they can't protect themselves. You can't just abandon us. Please."

"I didn't know he knew about your mother," Chris answered. "I thought you'd be safe here, but he must have researched everything about all of us." His gaze lowered, "I sent word to Wyatt. He'll protect you until this is over. Which, will be soon."

"Says you," Gon spat.

Chris jerked the demon's hair hard, "Do you want to ever have sex again? If not keep talking."

"Say you finish this," Anne began, "then what?"

"Tell the kids I love them."

Anne shook her head, "You can't do this. You can't just abandon us, Chris."

"I wish I didn't have to," he answered, his eyes darkening with morbid thoughts.

His wife understood then. He wasn't just planning on never contacting them again when this was over. Chris Halliwell would never abandon his family that way. No, he'd just go on a suicide mission instead. Her husband was going to die to save them all. "Chris-"

Without warning, Chris pulled her close, capturing her lips with his. In an instant it was over, and Anne watched as the father of her children shimmered out to his death. She touched her cheek and felt the wetness...the tear hadn't been shed by her.

000

Piper Halliwell set down the purple candle in the middle of the circle of five white pillar candles, lit it and stepped over to the Book of Shadows. Taking the athame setting on the stand, the Charmed One checked over the spell one last time making sure she had taken care of all the details.

"Piper, you can't do this," Leo started in again, "it's against the rules."

"Screw the rules, Leo," Piper snapped, "we've broken them before when the situation demanded it, and the situation demands that I do this."

The baby fussed in her uncle's arms. Leo bounced her lightly without even thinking. His attention was all on his wife and trying to talk her out of doing something that could go horribly, horribly wrong. Though, he had the feeling that no one could talk her out of this. When Piper Halliwell had her mind made up nothing could change it.

"Piper, Leo?" Phoebe's voice cut the tension as she entered the attic a moment later. "What's going-" she halted her sentence as her eyes landed on the precious bundle in her brother-in-law's arms. "Oh my god, it's Pearl, isn't it?"

Leo frowned in confusion, "Pearl?"

Phoebe nodded, moving to hold the bright eyed baby, "Yeah, Chris said Paige named the baby Pearl. At least in his future. I think Paige was going to in this one too. Oh, she's so sweet." The now youngest surviving Charmed One looked over to her big sister, "Looks like Paige left us a little ray of light in all this darkness."

"Yeah, she did," Piper agreed, "and it's up to all of us to protect her. And Melinda, Chris, Wyatt, Alex and Emma too."

The shorter haired brunette frowned, "You have a plan don't you?"

"Yup, and you're going to help me with it," Piper responded, pricking her finger with the athame laying on the book's stand and squeezing the blood into the green potion also resting on the stand.

Phoebe handed over the baby and moved to her sibling's side, "What are you doing? Summoning candles, a blood to blood spell, and what's the potion?"

"To revive the dead," Piper answered.

Leo started again, "It's impossible, Piper. It's not the natural way of things. It borders on dark magic, and if the Elders find out-"

Phoebe cut in, "Could it work?"

"Like Grams always used to say, we're witches, we can do anything."

"Then let's do it."

Leo shook his head, "You guys, this is serious. You could end up summoning truly dark beings devoid of souls. Ancient evil created by the unnatural nature of what you're doing. Not to mention you'll be throwing off the cosmic balance between good and evil. Stop thinking with your hearts and think with your heads. You can't cheat death. You've all had that lesson taught to you before."

"I am thinking with my head, Leo," Piper answered, "this is the only way I can think of to defeat Nyru. Do you have any other ideas?"

The Elder sighed, "No."

"Then let us try this," Phoebe answered, pricking her own finger and adding her charmed blood to the potion.

The two sisters took hands and chanted the spells Piper had merged in all out effort to do the impossible. "Power of the sisters rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us we call you near, come to us and settle here. Blood of our blood we summon thee, blood to blood return to me. Spirits on the other side, cross now the great divide."

As bright silver lights swirled inside the circle of candles, everyone held their breath. Slowly, one figure took shape. Paige, frowning in confusion took a step out of the circle becoming corporeal once she did so. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

Phoebe took a sharp breath and started over to her baby sister, ready to envelope her in a huge hug when another set of lights went off in the middle of the circle. She halted and turned to Piper, who was already crying and smiling. "Uh, Piper, what's going on?"

"I worded the spell _spirits_," Piper answered simply.

It was then that the second set of lights formed into another woman. The dark haired woman stepped out from the circle becoming corporeal and immediately folded her arms, her lips quirked up in a grin, "'Bout time you guys summoned me again."

"Prue," Phoebe breathed.

Piper tossed the potion she had made at the ground between her two dead sisters and watched as they glowed golden for a moment. Each took a deep gasping breath, stumbling slightly.

"What did you do to us?" Prue managed to ask.

"Yeah, I feel–wait, I feel," Paige exclaimed.

Prue put her hand on her chest, felt her heart beat for the first time in forty-odd years. Shaky from her experience, the eldest Charmed One breathed, "Oh my god. . .we're alive again."

tbc...


	38. Final Battle

Thanks to everyone still reading!

CHAPTER 38

**Final Battle Part One**

Wyatt Halliwell appeared in the Cramer kitchen to find a body covered in a white sheet on the tiled floor. His Aunt Anne was staring out of the kitchen window with a sorrow so strong that the empath staggered backwards from it. He took hold of the counter to steady himself.

"Oh, Wyatt, you're here," Anne commented in monotone as she turned from the window to face him. She noticed his unsteady stance and erratic breathing and frowned, "Am I doing that to you? Terribly sorry."

The teenager swallowed, gathering up his strength to get a better hold on his empathy. After a moment he was able to block her emotions out. He took a deep breath, "Wow."

"Isn't love wonderful?" Anne asked sarcastically.

Wyatt pulled the tiny woman into a hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. He stroked her jet black hair as she let loose the pain and fear she was feeling. "It's okay, Aunt Anne. He'll be all right."

"No," Anne shook her head fiercely, "he plans to die, Wyatt. He practically admitted it. He kissed me goodbye, told me to tell the kids he loves them, and he cried. Chris cried, Wyatt. Don't you see? He's not coming back. He's not. . ."she choked on a sob and just held tight to the Twice Blessed until it passed. When her tears finally subsided, she wiped her face with the back of her hand. Anger replaced sadness. "How could he just give up?"

"He's scared, but Uncle Chris isn't a quitter. He's going to be fine."

Alex entered the kitchen, scribbling in a pad with his pen. He looked up at his cousin, "Where have you been? I've been calling for you since I got stranded here."

"I came as fast as I could," Wyatt answered.

"Yeah, well not fast enough," Alex replied, gesturing to his grandmother's corpse. "Another one bites the dust."

"Alexander Halliwell," Anne snapped, "I don't want to hear you speaking so disrespectfully towards the dead."

The youngest teenager looked sheepish, "Sorry, Mum." He again looked to Wyatt, "I want my powers back, Wyatt. Emma does too. We're magical. It's part of who we are. You know that what my dad did was wrong. Help us."

"What do you think took me so long to get here?" Wyatt replied with a grin. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to the other witchlighter, "Found it in the book. I think it's just what the doctor ordered."

"Wait a moment," Anne started, taking the paper from her son's hands. "I'm not so sure about this."

Emma padded into the kitchen, her eyes red and puffy. She had cried herself to sleep when she had discovered her grandmother had been killed. Now awake once more, she made sure to avoid looking in the direction of the body. Instead, she focused her big blue eyes on her cousin, "Wyatt."

The eldest boy scooped her up into a big hug, "I'm so glad you're ok again, Squirt."

"Me too," Emma said softly.

"Hey, Emma, want your powers back?" Alex asked, getting back to business.

Emma looked back and forth between the firestarter and the Twice Blessed, "Is it possible? Can we really get 'em back?" She looked to her mother, "Please, mum? We have to help. Dad needs us."

"Yeah, he does," Alex agreed, his green eyes staring steadily into his mother's ice blue.

Anne looked down at the paper. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the mother considered her options. She could give them back their powers, let them fulfill the destiny they were born with, and be completely terrified for them as well as her husband, or she could tear up the paper and forbid it, keeping them protected forever, just as Chris had ordered. A small smile tugged on her lips as the answer revealed itself in her heart. She had known it all along.

"You deserve the chance to be true to yourselves, and to fight for your loved ones," Anne held the paper out for Alex to reclaim.

Alex let out a breath of relief, then started to read, "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, return to my powers, give me back, all that was taken, during the attack."

The teenager flashed blue and white for a moment, signaling the return of his powers.

"What about me?" Emma asked.

Wyatt reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a potion. He handed it to her, "Here ya go, Squirt."

"Wait," Anne interrupted. "She won't go back into a coma will she?"

"No," Wyatt answered, "I already took the burden from her. She'll be ok."

Anne nodded and gestured for her daughter to drink the purple potion.

Emma did so. When she had finished, she glowed a soft golden color for a few seconds. She grinned, "I'm back."

"So, what's the plan, Wyatt?" Alex questioned.

Emma nodded excitedly, "Yeah, what now?"

Wyatt pulled out a piece of a broken vial and held it out in front of him toward his littlest cousin, "I need you to see if you can get a hit off this. I tried, but my premonitions don't always work. If anyone can do it, it's gonna be you."

"Me?" Emma asked, unsure.

"Yeah," Wyatt confirmed, "I mean, we're gonna have to find Chris if we're gonna turn him back, and you are the psychic with the strongest connection to him. You're his. . .daughter."

Alex made a face, "That's still weird and creepy."

"Tell me about it my little nephew," Wyatt replied teasingly.

"Don't call me that ever again, or I will set your precious blonde hair on fire."

Emma rolled her eyes and carefully took the glass from the older boy. Holding it gently in her hand, the little psychic closed her eyes, concentrating on her younger cousin. After half a minute, she was pulled into a premonition. It went as fast as it came. When she opened her eyes, they were wide with fear, "I know where both dad and Chris are at. They're in big trouble. We've got to go help them."

"No way," Alex and Wyatt replied simultaneously.

Alex stepped forward, putting one hand on either of her shoulders, "Listen, Emma, it's too dangerous, and you don't have an active power. Just tell us where you saw them, and you'll have helped us a ton."

The little girl looked to her mother, "You're gonna let them go and not me?"

"They're older than you, more experienced and they have active powers," Anne reasoned. Off her daughter's upset look, "Hey at least you have powers, Sweetie. I am out of the loop all together. I can only help your father by staying out of the way."

Emma hugged her mother, "You're perfect the way you are, Mum."

"Yeah, Uncle Chris wouldn't have you any other way," Wyatt offered, knowing how hard it must be for his Aunt to always have to sit on the sidelines during these situations. She was a fiesty, protective woman, and to sit back and do nothing must be torture.

Alex took Emma's hand, "Can you project what you saw, Emma, just like Aunt Pheebs taught you?"

The little girl nodded, closed her eyes and revealed her premonition to him. When she opened her eyes again, she shivered, "Please change it."

"We need to go," Alex said, fear in his voice, "like ten minutes ago."

Wyatt looked to Anne, "You going to be ok?"

The dark haired woman nodded, then grinned at her daughter, "I've got Emma here to protect me."

"You got the local, Wy?" Alex questioned.

The Twice Blessed nodded, "Yeah, I read it off Emma."

"Be strong and be smart," Anne ordered, "If it gets too bad, get out of there." She kissed her son on the forehead and hugged Wyatt again, "I love you both."

"I love you too, Mum."

"You're the best, Aunt Anne."

Emma tried not to get teary as she said, "I love you guys, be careful, kay?"

Wyatt kissed her left cheek, Alex the right, as both responded, "We will." and "I love you."

Then, with the goodbyes done, the two Halliwell boys orbed out into the greatest battle the family had ever and would ever fight.

**000**

"_Oh my God. . .we're alive again."_

Paige looked back and forth between Piper and Prue, unsure what was going on. Somehow it seemed her big sisters had brought her and her other big sister back to life, but that just plain wasn't possible. No magic could do that. It was unheard of. Only an alchemist could bring people back from the dead, and that wasn't their souls, that was just their bodies. She and Prue were both themselves.

"How could you do this, Piper?" Prue asked harshly, "Do have any idea what kind of trouble we're all going to be in for this? This has personal gain written all over it. Plus, the dead are not supposed to be brought back to life. It's not natural." She turned to her brother-in-law, "Right, Leo?"

Leo shook his head, "I don't know what to think. This shouldn't have worked. Magic should have protected the natural order in some way. The spell should have backfired or not worked at all. I don't understand."

"Oh, my God," Paige breathed, finally having spotted the little bundle in the Elder's arms. She moved slowly toward him, her big brown eyes never leaving the child curled up in the crook of his arm. She swallowed down the tears that were forming. Looking up at Leo, she asked hesitantly, "Is that...my daughter?"

"Can't you tell?" Leo asked with a grin as the baby kicked its little legs, "she's got her mom's fighting spirit."

Paige smiled widely, a happy tear slipping down her pale cheek, "She's so beautiful."

Prue smiled softly, watching her youngest sister take the child in her arms, holding the newest Halliwell witch gently, lovingly. The eldest Charmed One was happy for her little sister. Paige deserved to get to hold her child in her arms, to love that little girl with all her heart. Prue's smile slipped. She had never been given that chance. She had died too young. Besides, the one person she could have pictured herself marrying and having children with was dead too– Andy Trudeau. They had spent the last forty odd years together in paradise, but she still missed what they could have had on earth.

"Hello, little Pearl," Paige whispered emotionally. She looked up at Piper and Phoebe then, fear in her eyes, "Is this for good? Are we really alive for good?"

"Of course," Piper answered, though something in her tone made both of her formerly deceased sisters doubtful.

Prue folded her arms over her chest, her gray eyes sharp with suspect, "Ok, Piper, why did you do this? Why risk so much now?"

"Haven't you seen what's been going on?" Phoebe questioned.

Paige shook her head, "No, Grams said I needed to adjust to being, well, dead. I haven't really had a chance to check into the earthly news network."

"I have, and I know things are bad, but to break so many wiccan rules like this, Piper, it's just not like you," Prue went on. "We don't even know what the consequences are for something this major."

"Who cares?" Paige quipped, caressing her daughter's pink cheek with her pinky. She looked up at Prue, "We're alive again. I'd say good for us and leave well enough alone."

Prue rolled her eyes, "Yeah, ok, but then what happens when it bites us in the butt and we're completely and totally unprepared?" Her gaze sought the next oldest Charmed One, "We have always had responsibilities as the Charmed Ones to do what was best for the greater good. Not for ourselves, and correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be pretty personal gain, which we know always has consequences. I just don't want to celebrate too soon."

"Yeah, but sweetie," Phoebe cut in, "we're finally all together again. Can't we just be happy for like one tinie-tiny millisecond?" The woman wrapped her arms around her sister's neck, holding onto her with a big smile on her face, "I missed you."

Laughing, Prue conceded, "I missed you too, Pheebs."

"Prue, this isn't about personal gain," Piper cut in, getting back to business. "I summoned you and Paige back from wherever you were because we have a demon to vanquish. One that none of us have been able to stop. He managed to break the Power of Three, Wyatt can't find him, and I'm not sure he'd be strong enough to fight him alone anyway, and Chris. . .well, he'd do something reckless and get himself killed. So many of us are already dead, Prue, I refuse to let anyone else die. If the Elders have a problem with me summoning the greatest power I know to stop the greatest evil I've ever known, then they can kiss my ass because once this guy has finished destroying all of us, he's gonna come after them."

Leo raised his eyebrows. He'd never witnessed Piper challenge Prue before. Before her older sister had passed away, Piper was submissive, always seeking to pacify rather than argue. He noticed Prue was rather surprised, her eyebrows going up at the tone her baby sister was using.

"Greatest power?" Paige cut in, seeking to stop the tension from building any further.

Phoebe grinned, "Of course. Who better than the Charmed Ones? All four of them."

"The Power of Four should be enough power to find Nyru and protect our family and everyone else," Piper finished.

Paige looked down at her daughter, "What if it's not?"

Piper let out a breath, "Then we do what we can to save the kids."

"We have to try," Phoebe agreed, "for our children."

Prue lowered her eyes. She didn't have anyone depending on her to protect them. Not for many many years.

"We can't do this without you, Prue," Piper said softly.

The eldest looked up, and in her sister's eyes saw that she was wrong. She had a lot of people to fight for still. Her family still needed her after all. "All right," Prue relented, "then let's do this."

**00**

As soon as Bianca had shimmered them into the meeting room, Chris knew that something was wrong. While most of the underworld caverns were low on the lighting, this was pitch black darkness. He couldn't see his hand when he held it right in front of his eyes. He could sense Bianca nearby, but couldn't tell for certain where she was with any sort of accuracy. He felt like he was completely alone, and for the first time in his life, the idea of solitude scared him.

Tossing an orb light into the air, Chris was relieved to see the darkness shrink away. He could see Bianca standing close on his right, and felt a stronger relief than he would have thought possible. Then again, after what he had just done, what he'd been through, it was no wonder he'd cling to the one person that could understand. He needed her right now.

"So, you are the great Christopher Halliwell," a bass voice floated from the left edge of the room, hiding within the dark still present there. "You truly are the weak link. In one timeline or another you will always bring about the downfall of your family."

Chris fisted his hands and shot a look to Bianca, who shook her head so slightly he almost missed the silent request that he keep his temper in check. He took a deep breath and returned his frost bitten eyes toward the direction of the voice. Struggling to keep the hatred out of his voice, Chris said, "Why should I care about them? They've kept me as the Elders' lap dog for way too long, and I'm ready to have a little fun. If that means they've got to go, then so be it."

There was a thick silence in response.

The witchlighter tried to sense the demon's more specific location in the room, but he found nothing. He could sense Bianca, and the essence of black magic everywhere, but no Nyru. He dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands in frustration. How could he fight what he couldn't see?

"You think I am like all the others, don't you?" the voice finally continued. "It is that same arrogance that cost your mother's life in your other time."

Chris' breath hitched for a moment. He was lying. There was no way that Piper Halliwell had been killed in any time line. She was practically invincible. However, the witchlighter couldn't think of a reason for Nyru to lie about it. Plus, Uncle Christopher had gotten really paranoid about his mom around their birthday a few years back. . .

"The other you was responsible. She died protecting you because you were and still are the weak link."

The young man was itching to just guess at the demon's location and toss the demon through the cave wall, blow him up into a thousand pieces, freeze him in his moment of death so that he could feel the pain he was causing. However, the hard look Bianca was shooting him reminded him what he was trying to accomplish. He had to prove himself, and attempting to kill Nyru without being certain of accomplishing the task was not only reckless, but just plain stupid–something Chris wasn't.

"I have no intention of testing you Christopher," Nyru went on, his voice suddenly on the opposite side of the room.

Bianca's face flashed with confusion, which she quickly worked to mask before asking, "Then he'll join us in the destruction of the Halliwells?"

"Yes, but not in the way you think, Dear Bianca," the demon answered, from another location in the room.

Chris shot a questioning glance to his partner, who mouthed back that he was probably using an astral form. The witchlighter rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Listen, cut the crap and tell me what you want from me."

"You."

Just as Bianca was about to question the demon's answer, she heard a heart breaking scream come from Chris as he dropped to his knees. She quickly dropped down next to him, "Chris? What's going on? Chris, answer me."

"Get out of my head, you bastard!" Chris cried out before toppling over on the ground, tears of pain streaming from his eyes as his mind began to be ripped apart. Every psychic blocking technique he had learned growing up failed him as his mind was lost to another.

Chris became still, silent. His breathing was erratic and shallow, but he didn't seem to be in pain any longer.

Bianca rose to her feet, "What did you do to him?"

"Just a little spell I found in your Grimoire," Chris answered, his voice strangely deep and monotone. When he got to his feet and turned to look at her, she could see that his eyes were no longer the green she had come to love, but rather two large black nothings where eyes should be.

"The possession spell?" the Phoenix questioned, "but why?"

"I needed his powers to kill the rest of them, and I knew he'd never give them willingly." The demon in the witchlighter's body merely grinned, "You think I didn't know what would happen? I know everything there is to know about you people. You only helped me because I have your mother. Christopher's greatest desire in any time line is to save his family. So, once you two met, I knew you two lovers would team up to stop me, just as you teamed up before to stop his brother. Your love for one another would bring you together, allow you to trust the other. A true Romeo and Juliet pair you make. Full of tragedy."

"It was a trap all along," Bianca snarled, furious at herself for having fallen for it.

She lit up an energy ball, but using Chris' telekinesis, Nyru sent Bianca crashing into the wall with such a force that the Phoenix Witch was knocked unconscious. Then, he moved to her limp, motionless body and raised his hands, sending electricity flying toward her, burning her from the inside out. Until suddenly, he was thrown backwards away from the Phoenix.

Nyru looked up toward the source of the attic and his black eyes went wide in shock. Standing opposite him was the older Christopher Halliwell with a dead Gon laying at his side. His general had betrayed him to the witch and had lost his life for it. Nyru regretted that he couldn't have killed the coward himself.

"I've been waiting for this moment since I was fourteen years old," Chris began, "so don't think I'm going to hold back because you're in my past self's body."

Nyru rose to his feet, wiped the blood from his split lip and grinned, "You aren't capable of killing an innocent boy to stop me."

"If I have to kill myself to stop you, I will."

Thus began the greatest battle of all time. Whether good won or not, sacrifices had already been made, and much more blood would be shed before the end.

tbc. . .


	39. Final Battle pt 2

Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading. You guys have been really patient, and I appreciate it! Hopefully this was worth the wait...

CHAPTER 39

**Final Battle pt. 2**

"_If I have to kill myself to stop you, I will."_

Those were the truest words Christopher Perry Halliwell had ever spoken.

Since he was fourteen years old and had watched his beloved mother bleed to death in his arms, the son had wanted nothing more than revenge– at any cost. This demon had not only taken his mother from him, but had ripped apart the thing that mattered most in his life, his family. After Piper's death, everything had fallen apart, and Chris blamed Nyru for it all. For Leo's abandonment, the Aunt's deaths, his cousins' deaths, Wyatt's fall to evil and every single one of the deaths resulting from it, including Bianca's, the loss of whom he still wasn't entirely over.

He didn't even see his younger self's body, which his adversary possessed. All he saw was Nyru. All he cared about was Nyru. Even Bianca began to fade away, melding into the shadows all around them.

"We'll just have to see, won't we?" Nyru responded in Chris' own voice. He raised a hand, a bolt of electricity shooting out towards Chris.

Chris orbed out of the way and reappeared behind the demon, immediately sending out his arm in a wild gesture that sent the other man hurtling backwards into a wall. However, before making impact, Nyru used his newly acquired powers to orb out and back in on his feet in front of Chris. Without hesitation, the demon flicked his wrists, attempting to blow up his enemy. Nothing happened. Apparently, Nyru didn't know that Chris used his telekinesis to accomplish that task. He was so surprised by the lack of explosion that Chris was given the opportunity to gather up his power and slowly choke the demon with it using his slowly fisting hand.

As air slowly began to vanish from the demon's borrowed lungs, he flung out his arm in desperation. The affect was a powerful telekinetic blast that was so fast the witch didn't even have time to react. It took Chris off his feet, sending him flying into the opposite wall with such a force that pieces of debris came down from the ceiling. When Chris hit the ground, his head was cracked open, blood seeping out, and he was struggling to remain conscious as his limp body refused to rise. He tried to push himself up, but his arms gave out and he slumped back to the ground, his entire body screaming in pain.

"Still the weak link in the family, I see," Nyru taunted. "Can't even avoid a simple telekinetic attack. Pity." He raised his arms, electric bolts ripping through the fallen witchlighter, whose pain was so great he couldn't help but cry out, tears stinging his eyes from the intensity of his agony. A normal man would have succumbed to unconsciousness gladly just to stop the pain.

Chris Halliwell was not and never would be a normal man.

Lowering his head, the witch separated his conscious from his body. A moment later, his astral form was standing behind an unsuspecting Nyru. Unlike his Aunt Prue, Chris had after many years, learned to control his powers while in his astral form. So, concentrating on his broken body, Chris focused on the athame in his inner coat pocket. He whispered for it, and orb lights surrounded the weapon and brought it to Chris' hand. It was deep in Nyru's back before the demon even had the chance to turn around in reaction to seeing the orb lights.

The body fell forward. The shadows grew inexplicably thicker, so much so that Chris needed to throw a few orb lights up into the air to light up the room. It was when he was no longer surrounded in darkness that Chris saw what he had done.

His past self was lying face first on the ground, the athame still sticking out of his back as a pool of blood began to grow around him. Confused, scared, pain-filled jade eyes opened and a whimper of pain escaped his lips. The nephew, sounding like a child begged, "Somebody h-help me. Please."

As a single tear fell from the boy's face, Christopher's heart shattered into a million pieces. He had just killed his own nephew. A boy he helped raise. It was suicide, but to the grown man's heart, it most definitely felt like homocide.

He dropped to his knees next to the wounded teenager. "Chris, can you hear me? It's going to be all right. I'm going to fix this, I swear."

"Un-uncle Christopher?"

The uncle nodded, wiping the already sweat matted hair back off the boy's forehead. "I'll get you home. Leo will heal you, and you'll be out shooting hoops again in no time."

"No," Chris tried to shake his head. "Kill th-the... bastard. Too much is. . .is at s-stake. If you leave now...no other...other chance."

"If I don't take you home now, you'll die, Chris."

The teenager smiled grimly, and Chris saw something he hoped to never see– his own haunted green eyes reflected in another's. He had hoped no one else in his family would ever have to see or do the things he had, but seeing those eyes looking back at him, Chris knew that his wish wasn't to come true. Something dark had happened. Something that had changed his carefree nephew forever.

This knowledge was confirmed when the younger witchlighter answered, "I d-don't . . .care."

Christopher was about to answer him that while he might not care many others would, but was never given the chance. He was hit in the back with a fireball first. The impact sent his astral form flying back into his battered body. He tried to lift his head, tried to move, but he couldn't. Getting hit by his own power of telekinesis, crashing into a stone wall with such a force...well, when he couldn't feel his own legs, Christopher was fairly certain he was paralyzed from the waist down. His eyes began to close without his permission, the concentration needed to hold his astral form had drained him too much.

Nryu's voice was the last thing Christopher or Chris heard before they lost consciousness, "Love is weakness. That's why you are and always will be the weakest link. It will always bring about your downfall."

Orb lights filtered down into the ceiling quickly taking the shape of the Twice Blessed Witch and the firestarter. Wyatt took one look at the situation and his long fused temper was lit and the explosion from it was immense. With one hand he waved away the darkness, revealing Nyru for all the world to see, his shadows no longer cloaking him. With the other, he sent an all powerful telekinetic blast out towards the demon, who would have been incinerated if he hadn't shimmered out of harm's way in time.

As a result of the blast, the entire cavern shook, chunks of ceiling crashed to the ground. Alex had to orb out of the way of a particularly large, sharp piece. When he reappeared he held up his hands, waving them in front of his cousin to get the other man's attention. "Wy, stop it. You'll bring the whole place down."

Wyatt nodded, lowering his arms and taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Once he had, he moved over to the fallen Chrises, meaning to heal them. However, a sharp cry caught his attention. His head whipping around, Wyatt saw his cousin being held at athame point. Nyru had summoned it from Chris' back and was now ready to use it on another Halliwell.

"Heal either of them, and the boy dies."

For the first time in his life, Wyatt didn't know what to do. He was powerless to stop the death of someone he cared about. If he chose to save Alex, his little brother and uncle would die. If he picked them, he lost his cousin...his nephew.

Alex struggled to break free from the demon's grasp. It was useless. So, he did what came naturally to him. He got mad. Which was a good thing. Because where there is heat, fire is soon to follow. Nyru discovered this when his arm burst into flame, followed shortly by the rest of him.

As their nemesis screamed in fiery anguish, Alex escaped his grasp. He gestured at Wyatt to heal their fallen family members. Both thought that Nyru was done for. Both underestimated his power.

With a wave of his hand, the demon of shadows summoned twenty of his minions into the room. More followed each minute. The entire place was packed with demons. Fireballs and energy balls were being thrown before Wyatt and Alex could even take a step. They were forced to give up on their rescue in order to fend off the attacks. Alex used his power to extinguish as many of the fires as possible. Wyatt deflected all the energy balls he could with his telekinesis. Their efforts were just not enough.

Until another set of orb lights appeared.

"Hey, who started the party without us?" Paige asked as she dodged an energy ball.

"Don't demons know that a fight is just not a fight without us?" Prue added, throwing one demon into the path of another's fireball.

Pheobe swept the legs out from under one demon, then used her empathy to reflect the attack of another back at its owner. She shrugged, "Guess not."

Piper, with hands flicking at the speed of light at demon after demon, finished, "Well, then, guess we're just gonna have to teach them to know better in the future."

With some of the pressure off, Wyatt was able to run to his little bother's side. He lifted a hand over his sibling and gave a breath of relief when his hands gained the glorious golden glow that signified the beginning of healing. More relief followed when his sibling sat bolt up right, taking a gasping breath.

Chris glanced around the cavern in confusion before remembering what had happened. He saw Bianca still lying far too still on the other side of the cavern. Without even so much as thanking his brother, Chris took off, dodging energy and fire balls this way and that in his attempt to reach her. He skidded onto his knees at her side. Lifting her head onto his lap, he noticed the burns on her face, neck and hands from the electric bolts Nyru had forced him to use on her during his possession. He swallowed the guilt he felt along with the fear. He stroked her dark hair back off her face. "Bianca? Bianca, can you hear me?"

A soft moan.

"Bianca?"

Dark, soulful brown eyes gazed up at him, "Chris?"

"You're ok," he breathed, instinctively pulling her up against him.

The assassin blinked in shock, but a small smile graced her lips. It felt good to be in his arms...to have his concern.

"It's not safe for you here."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "I'm not leaving."

"You're hurt."

The Phoenix pushed him off, standing without difficulty. "I'm fine. I want to fight. And there is no way in hell that I am going to let you tell me I can't."

She shimmered out and joined the fray before he could even argue with her about it. Not that he would have. He knew better. Besides, his family could use all the help they could get. So, with a small grin, he too returned to the battle.

Wyatt, meanwhile, had finally reached his uncle. The healing didn't take long and Chris opened eyes. He frowned slightly, pushed himself up off the ground, rising to stand without any trouble. Then, he jogged off into a crowd of demons, vanquishing three in under a 10 seconds. Wyatt rolled his eyes, "Gee, thanks for saving our lives, Wy. We really appreciate. Oh, and we're sorry for _having scared you to death_."

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Alex asked, coming up next to him.

"Well, no one else seems to want to talk to me," Wyatt pouted.

Alex rolled his eyes, "We're kinda in the middle of the battle to end..." he sent a fireball back to its owner and orbed out to avoid an energy ball to the gut. When he reappeared he finished, "...to end all battles. The world does not revolve around you, you know."

"Excaliber!" Wyatt summoned, stabbing a demon through with the legendary sword as soon as it came into his hands. He turned to his cousin, "No, but it did in another timeline."

"Not funny," Alex replied.

The two friends continued to banter, trying desperately to avoid thinking about how important this battle was. Trying desperately not to think about the fact that at any moment one of them could die. That their whole family could lose, and that the world would fall into darkness. It was just easier to pretend this was just another vanquish, bickering relatives and all.

Off on the opposite side of the room, Nyru, Chris and Christopher were locked in a three-way battle. . .

Nyru sent a fireball towards Chris, who easily reflected it with the wave of his hand. Unfortunately, the demon was ready and shimmered out of the way causing the attack to hit one of his minions instead, who gave a cry of pain before going up in a fiery death. When he reappeared, Nyru was behind Christopher, the athame at the ready to strike again.

"Uncle Christopher, behind you!"

Hearing his younger self's warning just in time, Christopher caught his assailant's wrist and bent forward pulling the demon over his head, throwing him to the ground. Before, his enemy could recover, Chris used his telekinesis to lift him off the ground then hurl him back into the wall of the cavern in the exact same manner Nyru had forced him to do to his Uncle. The affect was the same. Debris and all. The demon stumbled trying to get back up. The teen took the opportunity for what it was and raised his hand, slowly clenching it into a fist, concentrating on stopping the demon's heart.

"It won't. . .work." Nyru gasped through the pain. "You'll n-never beat...me." Using the last of his strength the demon raised his hand to toss an energy ball at Chris, forcing him to lose his concentration on the heart and instead refocus his energy on deflecting the energy ball.

However, as Chris lost his concentration on the demon, Christopher picked up where his younger version left off, continuing to squeeze the heart. As soon as Nyru was weak enough, Chris began to chant, "In this day and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. Send this demon back to--"

Chris looked over at his uncle when he heard the spell stop right before completion. His future version's face was pale as fresh snow. His eyes filled with a terror that Chris had only begun to know. He followed the gaze and his heart dropped into his stomach. Five demons held his Aunt Anne's blood covered body, and his little cousin, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Enough!" Nyru bellowed. "Halliwells. This game is over. One more vanquish of any of my men and they both die."

Christopher shook his head, "No, God, please not this. Not this."

Wyatt and Alex looked up from their battles to see what was going on. Alex cried out as he saw his mother's condition. He tried to run forward to reach her, but Wyatt held him back. A demon burst into flame. The Twice Blessed held up a hand, "Accident. He's understandably upset right now. Our powers don't work so well when we're upset."

Nyru nodded to one of his men. The demon slapped Emma hard across the face. She fell to the ground and didn't get back up.

Christopher tried to get to her, but just a shake of Nyru's head held him in his place. He called out to his little girl, "Emma, it's going to be ok. I'm here, and I'm going to get you and mommy out of here." He turned to Nyru, "Then I'm gonna rip this bastard limb from limb."

Prue, clenched her fists by her sides. She'd never been so angry in her life. Their family had all the power in the world, but couldn't stop one lousy demon? It wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening this way. Her nephew should not have to lose his wife and daughter. Paige and Pheobe shouldn't have lost their husbands. How could the most powerful magical beings fall to the feet of this demon? They were Warren witches for crying out loud! She paused, an idea coming to mind.

Nudging Phoebe, who was closest to her, Prue, whispered, "What if he didn't have all these goons backing him up? Think he'd be so tough then?"

"What are you talking about Prue? He does have all these goons, and said goons are gonna kill our nephew's wife and daughter if we move a muscle."

Piper, having seen the exchange, inched closer, gesturing for Paige to do the same. The second eldest, shot a questioning glance at her big sister. "Pruedence, if you've got a way out of this mess, we'd all really really like to hear it."

"You remember how the power of three will set us free has always managed to save us in any situation? Well, now, we can summon the power of three times two."

"Six?" Paige asked, lost. "Um, there's only four of us."

Prue rolled her eyes, "Not what I meant."

"You mean both sets of Charmed Ones. You, me and Piper and Paige me and Piper." Phoebe grinned, "The power of three times two. It's brilliant. Twice the power of the most powerful triads in history."

"Oooh, I get it," Paige said.

Piper gazed nervously at Nyru, "Are we sure it will work? Because if it doesn't, they're going to die."

"It will work," Prue assured her. She held out her hands, "Let's do this."

The four sisters took hands, forming a circle. Immediately, they started chanting, "The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free."

As they continued their chant, a circle of energy began to form around them, quickly expanding with every repetition of the spell until finally, in one giant burst of energy, it filled the room, destroying every single lower level demon in the room, causing them all to burst into flames, their screams paving their paths to hell.

Wyatt blinked. "Woah."

"Mom! Emma!" Alex tore off towards his family. His cousin was hot on his trail, ready to heal his Aunt.

Nyru shook his head, "This is not possible!"

"You messed with the wrong family," Piper announced, flicking her wrists, sending the demon crashing backwards.

Christopher held up a hand, "Mom. He's mine."

Prue opened her mouth to argue, but Piper covered it. She shook her head. Prue let out a frustrated breath and let it go.

Christopher stalked over to Nyru, looming over the now cowering demon. "I'm going to make you feel the pain you caused my family."

"Die you son of a bitch," Chris threw the vanquishing potion he'd brought at the demon.

Christopher chanted, "In this day and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. Send this demon back to hell, I banish his darkness with this spell."

Nyru gave an ear piercing shriek, smoke surrounding him as fire consumed him from the inside out. Suddenly he began moving in slow motion, his cry growing louder and more intense until he suddenly imploded like a supernova. The threat was finally over. Nyru was dead.

But a great price had been paid.

Wyatt looked up, tears slipping down his cheeks as he knelt by his aunt. "She's dead."

Tbc...


	40. A Different Path

Sorry for the delay everyone, but I have had the worst case of writer's block lately. I know this isn't much, but at least it's a little something until I can get through my block. Thanks for reading and reviewing! You guys are what keep me trying to finish this monster of a fic.

CHAPTER 39

**A Different Path**

_Wyatt looked up, tears slipping down his cheeks as he knelt by his aunt. "She's dead."_

Alex gave a primordial cry, pushing himself past his relatives to throw himself at the ground by his mother's still form. His tears slipped from his face onto her cooling skin as he shook her. "Mum, wake up. Please. You can't leave us. Mum!"

Emma ran in the opposite direction, tripping over a stone and falling, sobbing, at her father's feet. Her breath hitched, and her body shook with the intensity of her tears. She only looked up when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. She had been expecting her father's face to be attached to it, but it was Wyatt's who gazed sympathetically down at her. He pulled her into his arms and rubbed circles into her back as she soaked his t-shirt with her sorrow.

Forcing down her own grief and the pain of her relatives, Phoebe gently knelt down next to Alex, and embraced him. He squeezed his eyes shut, but did not turn away from his mother's corpse. He couldn't.

Paige stared at the tragic scene with tears slowly falling from her deep brown eyes, "It's not fair. We sacrifice and sacrifice and it only ever leads to death for the people we love."

The eldest Charmed One shook her head, "This can't be the end. We deserve more than this. I will not accept death and loss as our family's destiny."

Chris took Bianca's hand in his without even thinking. He didn't even look at her. She, however, turned her face to look at him and smiled sadly at the teenager who had been forced to become a man too soon. She gave his hand a little squeeze. He looked over at her and gave her a grateful smile.

Christopher squeezed his eyes shut. "This is all my fault. I tried to protect you, and it got you killed." He opened his jade eyes, tears slipping out as he did so. "I'm so sorry. It should have been me. Never you. Oh god, never you."

A tiny hand on his shoulder made him look over into his mother's soft eyes. She pulled him into a hug, whispering, "It's ok, baby. We're going to change all this."

"This wasn't her destiny, Mom," Chris said. "This was never her destiny."

Piper pulled away to look up at her son. "Chris?"

"She died because of me. Because I was in the past, and because I married her, and she got pulled into our world."

"It was meant to be, Sweetie. That's why you have Alex and Emma, and you wouldn't wish them away for anything in this world or the next."

"Of course not. It's just. . ." He broke off, fighting back his grief.

Piper pulled him into another hug, "I know baby. I know. But this isn't the end. It's never the end with us."

000

There was a light like all the stories claim appear when one dies. However, Anne felt no desire to head toward it. What she wanted was to hold her son and daughter in her arms and tell them that everything was ok. She wanted to go to her husband and kiss him one last time, then hit him for being so reckless and stupid. However, as she gazed at the scene before her, her own body lying a bloody mess on the cold floor, she was held in place by a warm hand on her shoulder.

"It's time."

Anne turned to face the thin faced, raven eyed man and shook her head, "No."

"Death is not the end," he assured her.

"If it means not being with my children and my husband, then I would have to beg to differ." She ripped out of his hold and knelt down by her daughter. She tried to put her hand on the child's back, but it went straight through.

The Angel shook his head, "Humans. They just never grasp the concept of death."

"How can we when we lose everything and everyone we love to it?"

Anne felt herself being pulled toward the light. She took a step away from it. It tugged her back. She looked pleadingly at the Angel of Death, "Please, this isn't my time."

"I've heard that so many times before, and it never changes the fact that you are already dead. There is no changing that. Now, resign yourself to it. It will make the transition much easier for you."

The light inched her forward again. Anne glanced into it. It was inviting; she couldn't deny that. But to give up? To leave her children behind? To leave Chris to deal with her death and raising the children on his own? She couldn't.

"I promise you, you'll see them again," The Angel spoke softly. "This is not your end. Just your death." He nudged her forward, as the crypticness of his words sent her mind reeling with possible meanings.

She was inches away from the other side. Her nose almost touching the light. The young woman looked back at the dark haired Angel. "I can't leave them."

"You don't have a choice," he sympathetically answered before giving her a final shove into the after life.

Anne stumbled out the other side, landing on what could only be described as a cloud. A hand reached down, offering her aid. She took it, and felt herself lifted to her feet. When she looked up at the face belonging to the helping hand she smiled at the dark haired, blue eyed stranger. "Hullo."

"Hi," the man answered. "Welcome to. . .well, up here, for lack of a better name."

"Up here? As in heaven?" Anne questioned.

The stranger frowned, "That's a bit complicated. I can say there are angels though."

"Oh? And is that what you are?"

A roguish grin formed on the man's face, "You could say that. I'm actually a whitelighter. Like your husband and children. Only a full one. I'm usually only assigned to very special cases. Such as yourself."

"I'm a special case?"

"Yes. You see, it wasn't your destiny to die. In fact, none of this was your destiny. Not marrying Chris Halliwell and becoming one of the best doctors in the world, who volunteered your services to the poor– that was your original destiny. You see, you were meant to become a whitelighter."

"What? How is that possible?"

The stranger sighed, "I know this is hard to hear, but you were never supposed to even meet Chris. He shouldn't have been in the past to meet."

"But he was in the past to save Wyatt," she argued. "That was his destiny."

"To save Wyatt yes. To go to the past to do so...not necessarily."

Anne folded her arms, "So what does all this rubbish have to do with me?"

"You've been given another chance."

A raised eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"At life. They're giving you a choice. One life or the other. They'll send you back to the moment you met Chris, armed with memories of both lives–both fates. It'll be up to you what you choose." The stranger frowned, "It won't be as easy as you think. You were in love with someone else in that other life. A very good man. You had children in that fate as well. It's going to be a hard decision."

"Do I have a choice?" Anne asked.

The stranger shook his head, "No. The higher powers think it's the only fair way to go."

"Ok, then I guess we should get this show on the road."

Noticing her nervousness, "You won't be alone. If you need anything I'm always just a shout away."

Anne frowned, "What exactly am I to shout? You never told me your name."

"Andy," The whitelighter answered. "Andy Trudeau."

A glowing portal opened up before her, and Anne took a step away from it.

Andy grinned, "Don't worry. Everything will work out the way it's meant to. I swear. You just have to know what you want to do..."

"What I want to do?"

The whitelighter nodded, "Going to the past opens a lot of doors for you. All you have to do is recognize opportunities." He emphasized the word 'opportunities' and gave her a little wink.

Suddenly, Anne knew exactly what he was trying to tell her. It linked to something Chris had often said-- future consquences. A person's slightest actions could change the entire future. All she had to do was be careful and she could change everything all right--hopefully for the better.

What she didn't realize was how difficult remembering that goal would turn out to be...

tbc. . .


	41. Back to the Beginning

Sorry for such a long delay, guys. I'm still suffering writer's block something awful. I'm not entirely happy with this, but I'm hoping your reviews to it might spark my imagination back to life. Thanks for baring with me. I wouldn't still be trying if it weren't for you guys.

CHAPTER 40

**Back to the Beginning**

Anne found herself transported back exactly one year before Alex had been born, in a body that hadn't undergone two pregnancies nor a single tossing about by a demon. She was back at P3 on the night of a special celebration. She had just finished med. school and had been out with some of her friends to dance and drink the night away. This was where and when she met Chris.

"Piper did a really great job with this club," A voice commented beside her.

The doctor turned to find her newly assigned whitelighter gazing fondly about the hip club, taking in everything for the first time with the wonder of a small child.

"You knew Piper Halliwell?"

"I dated her sister, Prue."

Anne's eyes grew wide in understanding. Prue was Chris' eldest Aunt. She had died long before the young man was even born. This must be the cop that had given his life for the Halliwell women back when they had first learned the craft. She had heard Piper tell Alex and Emma the story, as if to commemorate the fallen hero as well as her big sister.

"Well," Andy swiftly changed the subject, "This is it. Your other memories should be hitting you any second, so I'd brace myself if I were you."

Anne was about to comment that she very much doubted it would be necessary when a series of sharp flashes went through her mind.

_She was tending to an elderly man, who looked up at her with tear filled eyes. He was shaking as he said, "Thank you. Thank you so much. You saved my life."_

"_It's all part of the job," Anne replied._

_The man shook his head, "No. If it weren't for people like you, poor folk like me would just be left to rot in the streets, dying from sickness. You're an angel doing what you do, Miss. A real angel."_

The scene shifted.

_A young man with bright blue eyes and short blonde hair was down on one knee, a pink rose in one hand and a velvet box containing a sparkling diamond ring was in the other. "Marry me, Anne. I can't live without you."_

"_Terry...it's so beautiful." She looked down into his love filled eyes, "Of course I'll marry you. You're my best friend, soul-mate...the love of my life."_

A new event quickly unfolded next.

"_Hi, baby girl." Anne looked down, tears falling down her cheeks as she gazed at the little bundle in her arms. "Little Amy Winters. My little angel."_

Another child was born, a girl named Molly. A trip to Africa to help the sick there. A trip to Mexico to build houses. A school play with little blonde haired Angel Amy as the star. A ballet recital with Molly. Many romantic moments and vacations with Terry. Each and every one flashed in her mind and she felt each as though she herself had lived those moments. When finally the integration was complete, Anne stood, shocked at how she felt. Confused. Lost. Afraid of making the wrong decision.

With tears filling her bright blue eyes, Anne turned to find Andy, leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest with a sympathetic look in his eyes. He pursed his lips, studying her for a moment before deciding what to say to her. "You know everything now. Have you changed your mind on what you're going to do tonight?"

"What I'm going to do?" Anne hesitated to ask.

Andy pointed over to the bar.

A twenty-two year old Chris was sitting at the bar all by himself nursing a beer. He looked so sad as he stared down at his drink between swigs. The club's lights were casting a dark shadow over his face, preventing her from seeing his face, but she knew it was him. After all, she had been in this exact moment before.

He felt her looking at him and his head came up, and he turned his face toward her. Those eyes...haunting jade green eyes that seemed to cry in pain...in loss. Even though it was obvious that he was depressed, the man still forced a small smile to his lips and nodded his head at her just slightly.

"This is when I went over there before," Anne said numbly.

"Are you going to now? Or are you going to walk away? Live your perfect life with Terry?"

The woman turned away from Chris, turning to face Andy, "How can I choose? I have children with both of them. If I pick one man, I lose those innocent children. _My_ children."

"I can't help you make this decision, Anne. It's all up to you." He put a hand on her shoulder, "It's all about who you really love."

Anne looked back toward Chris, her heart breaking as he threw back another swig from his beer before setting it down again and just staring into it. She just didn't know what to do. Terry was a good man, romantic, sensitive, caring, gentle. But with Chris. . .

_Anne shook her head, her frustration evident. "This is preposterous. There has to be a way to break through that enchantment, yet we've been researching for months now, and nothing gives us any clues on how to do it. Well, besides breaking the actual amulet, but in order to do that we would have to find Nyru, and if we could find the bloody bastard we wouldn't need to break the amulet in the first place!"_

_Chris smiled at her outburst._

"_What?" She asked, noticing the look in his eyes. "What do you think is so amusing about all of this?"_

"_Not amusing exactly...just...appealing."_

_His wife raised an eyebrow in question. "Appealing?"_

"_Mmhmm."_

_Slowly the young husband slipped a hand behind his wife's head, bringing her lips to his. A moment later his hands were running up her sides then back down before slipping under her shirt and returning upwards. _

_Anne pulled away, frowning in confusion. "You want to do this now? We still have so many books to look through..."_

_Chris grinned. "I have always found that study breaks help rejuice my battery."_

"_Study breaks?"_

_Instead of answering her, he started nibbling on her neck. Slowly moving his way down._

_Anne closed her eyes enjoying the sensations he was creating. "Okay. Ooh, that's beautiful. You are really quite good at this, but shouldn't this wait until after we solve this problem?"_

"_Study break." Chris reminded her before grinning wickedly and moving to a sensitive spot._

"_Chriiiiis." Anne sucked in air, trying not to make too much noise. She really didn't want to wake the baby._

_Chris looked up at her, his jade eyes twinkling mischievously. "Study break?"_

"_Oh, yes."_

_Sweeping her up into his arms, Chris carried her to the bedroom._

Anne smiled at the memory. Chris was impulsive. While Terry was the steady and true husband, Chris was a roller-coaster ride. A challenge. Every day with Chris and his destiny as a powerful Warren witch was an adventure. Never knowing for sure whether or not this day could be the last. . .

_Chris began coughing again, more blood coming up, splattering onto his light blue shirt. The young man closed his eyes as he winced in sheer agony. He was trying to be strong, so as to not scare her. It wasn't working. The pain was showing through, and Anne was terrified._

"_Chris, we need Leo. This is bad. It must have punctured your lung. I can't do anything for you here." When he kept his eyes closed and didn't respond, tears slipped down her face. And she held him against her chest. "Chris? Oh god. Please no. Leo!"_

"_M-marry. . .me." More coughing, more blood. Her sleeve was soaked crimson now too._

_Anne shook her head. "Save your strength." Looking up to the ceiling. "Leo! Chris is dying!" When no one came, her tears flowed stronger. She felt so helpless in that moment with the man she loved lying, bleeding to death in her arms. "I have to call an ambulance."_

"_N-no."_

"_Chris, it's your only hope." _

_Chris weakly shook his head. "Explanation..."_

_Anne knew what he was trying to say. How were they going to explain his wound? She didn't care. Some attacker off the street stabbed him. It didn't matter what they told the authorities! She had to get him healed. If not magically then in a hospital. "We can deal with that later. I've got to call 911." _

_She gently placed him down on the floor and started to rise to her feet, only to stop when he reached up and touched her arm. She gazed down at him through tear filled eyes, and stopped in her tracks at the soft look in his jade colored eyes. They were even more bright then usual, probably because his skin was so pale from blood loss. Within them was the look of someone afraid to die alone._

"_A-answer. . .coughcough me."_

_Anne couldn't hold back any longer. She began to sob. "Of course I will. I love you so much. I can't lose you_."

Those words were still true today. She couldn't lose Chris. He was her true soul-mate. Destined to be or not, she knew, deep down in her heart that no one could ever love her like Chris did, and no one could ever love Chris like she did.

"Go over there already," Andy nudged, knowing full well long beforehand which man she was going to choose.

Anne frowned, "I thought you said the decision was mine."

"It is, but you know who you want, and so do I. Get over there."

"Ok, but if you already knew who I was going to choose, then why did the Elders bother with this whole thing? Is it really for fairness?"

Andy shrugged, "To them, fairness is extremely important. You got to see what you're missing out on, and you're still choosing Chris. That's fair. What you do next is what I'm waiting for."

Anne raised an eyebrow.

"Not that." Andy pulled a face. "I meant your conversation with Chris. Playing around in the past while knowing about the future can have interesting effects. Think about that."

A jingle went off.

Andy sighed, "I've said too much. Just. . .be careful." With those parting words, the man disappeared to the back room

That's when Anne understood. This was her true objective. Her true mission. She had nearly forgotten what she needed to do. She had been so focused on choosing the right path for her life that she had forgotten that she now held the power to change things for the better for everyone she loved. She would change things.

Taking a deep breath she approached Chris.

"Anne Cramer."

"Chris Perry." He replied, softly.

She sat on the stool next to his, and turned toward him. She fought for a moment to remember what she had said next all those years ago. After a moment she remembered and started the ball rolling. "So, you don't look like you are enjoying yourself much. Pity. This place is fabulous."

"I'll give the owner your compliments."

Anne smiled knowing full well the answer to her next question, "You know the owner?"

The man nodded. "Yeah." He shook his head, frowning in confusion. "Why are you talking to me? I'm not exactly good company. Drunks usually aren't."

Not remembering her exact response, Anne winged it. "I doubt very much if you are truly intoxicated. It's probably mostly the misery making you act so."

Chris chuckled at that. "Are all the English as blunt as you are?"

"My dad is American. I picked up some of it from him."

The man merely nodded again as response, then took another swig from his bottle. When he put it back down he stared at it for a moment, as though he would find the answers to all his problems if only he studied that brown bottle for just a moment longer. After a while his soft voice broke through the music, catching her attention in a way that nothing had before it. "Have you ever thought about your existence? How you became who you are?"

Anne let out a little hmph. "Seems to be all I can do as of late."

"_The future is so fragile, and one single decision could change me forever. Turn me into someone I wouldn't recognize in the mirror. Like the real me never even existed. Maybe even erase me all together..."_

Anne wasn't sure where to go from here. She knew that the first go around she had thought he was some sort of scientist of quantum theory, but she knew the truth now, and wondered if perhaps she should just stick to the script. Or should she divulge a little hint about their future involvement right about now? She wasn't sure. She decided to go with her gut. "You won't be erased. I think you have a full, wonderful future ahead of you. In fact, I could nigh on promise you that."

Chris turned toward her now, looking at her full on for the first time. After a moment, he frowned slightly as though attempting to study her very thoughts. However, his intense gaze was no longer a thing that unnerved her. It was something she often sought comfort from now. It brought no comfort in this moment though, so sad, lost, hurt.

The young love of her life, frowned at her, "How can you be so sure?"

Anne shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe I saw it in my crystal ball?"

Chris chuckled. "You believe in that sort of stuff?"

"Maybe," she answered. "Maybe someday, someone will show me undeniable proof that angels and witches and demons exist and then what choice will I have?"

The smile fell from her future husband's face, and Anne worried that she had said too much too soon. Patience wasn't exactly a virtue of hers, though, and everything depended on this moment.

"Maybe," Chris answered carefully, his eyes boring into her, studying her to see if she could possibly be a threat. When he was satisfied that she seemed innocent enough, he sighed, "Though, I hope you never find that proof.World's bleak enough as it is." He looked apologetically up at her, "I warned you I wasn't good company."

"If I wasn't enjoying myself to some degree, I wouldn't be sitting here, and I most certainly would not be talking to you." Anne gave him her best smile, knowing how much he loved it and hoping it would get him to ask the question she was waiting for.

"Do you want to dance?"

"You want to dance? I thought you were too busy contemplating your existence to be interested in such trifles. Not to mention the fact that intoxicated men have a tendency to step on my feet..."

"You said you didn't think I was drunk. As for my existence...I guess there isn't much I can do about that now. What's done is done. Might as well enjoy myself one last time."

"You make it sound as though you are going to die tomorrow."

Chris' smile fell. "I just might." Noticing the look she was giving him, he shrugged. "You never know when your time might come." When she continued to frown, he grinned, his jade eyes losing their haunting appearance for the first time. They were enchanting...innocence with a romantic appeal. "Just one dance. I promise I won't step on your feet."

Anne grinned, "Ok, but I have to jot down a quick reminder note before I forget something very important."

He gave her a quizzical look.

Taking off the purse that she had slung over her shoulder, she pulled out a pen and pad and wrote neatly: Nyru is coming after your family. He is located in Circe's cave exactly one year from now when he will try to kidnap your baby self and your mother. Vanquish him then and stop your family's ruin.

Folding the note neatly, she labeled it, open in three months or suffer future consequences. She smirked at the irony of using his own phrase against him, then handed her purse off to the bartender for safe keeping before following Chris out on the dance floor.

At first they danced separate, but in close proximity, nothing special about such a dance. Then he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist...as soon as she felt his hands on her sparks flew. Even after spending years married to this man, his touch still sent shivers down her spine like the very first time. Their pelvics touched as they moved to the rhythm of the music, the feeling of him against her was so enticing. It was no surprise why she made the decision she had made all those years ago.

Taking their closeness and using it to her advantage, Anne slowly slipped the piece of paper into his coat pocket.

"Not bad for a yank." She replied teasingly, remembering her old jab at him, and how it had helped get them to the back room.

He smiled sadly for a moment. "My fiancee taught me."

"Oh? You're engaged?" She tried to keep the disgust out of her voice. It was no secret she still was angry about Bianca being back in their lives.

"Was...she died."

Anne's heart constricted at the tone of his voice. The first time her heart had broken because of his mourning a dead fiancee. This time it broke knowing that somewhere in the future, her Chris was suffering like this because of her. Instead of trying to comfort him with words, she merely looked into his eyes with her own compassion filled blue pair. Their eyes locked, and understanding passed between them. She did not pity him, but felt for him. He saw this and was grateful.

The young woman was not surprised this time when his head lowered and his soft lips brushed against hers. His hands slipped behind her head, ending up in her thick black hair. When his tongue asked permission to dance with hers, she more than allowed it, she craved it. She returned his advances with equal fervor, and from there, things quickly progressed. Still, kissing her, the young man led her away from the dance floor, and the two of them practically fell through the door to the back room. Things got blurry after that...again.

_Half an hour later..._

Anne straightened her shirt and found Andy waiting for her outside the door to Piper's office at the club. She blushed deeply. "Were you out here the _whole_ time?"

"Nope," Andy looked at his watch. "Just the last five minutes or so."

"Oh thank heavens," the woman let out a relieved breath, the blush in her cheeks lightening just slightly.

Andy frowned at her, "Did you do what needed to be done?"

"I certainly hope so," She answered.

Andy let out a breath, "Me too. For everyone's sake."

It was in this moment that the room froze in place, people caught in odd positions, glasses brought half way up to their lips, dance moves paused half-way through completion, two lips in a dark corner not quite reaching as time stopped.

Anne raised a questioning eyebrow to her new whitelighter, "What's going on?"

"It's time to find out if you did what needed to be done." Andy offered her a hand, "Let's get back to your own time, and see how fate has turned out."

As the woman hesitated to take his hand, the former detective smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry. Fate has a way of working everything out for the best. I have a feeling everything is going to be just fine. Trust me."

With this promise keeping her racing heart at a trot rather than a gallop, Anne nodded and took the offered hand, feeling a familiar tug in her soul before everything went dark.

tbc. . .


	42. Happily Ever After?

Thanks sooo much to everyone for their continued support. We are reaching the end though. One more chapter after this more likely than not. I hope you enjoy them and thanks again for reading :)

CHAPTER 42

**Happily Ever After?**

"So, what do you think?"

Anne blinked, suddenly becoming aware that her surroundings were different–no longer in the past, but rather the present time. She could tell this by the fact that Chris, who was standing in front of her, while still quite youthful in appearance was decidedly older, his eyes being the tell-tale indicator of the passing years. Also, they were in their home, not P3, where she had last remembered being.

"Anne? Are you even listening to me?" Chris asked, gazing at her with his patented annoyed expression.

The woman snapped herself into the moment, realizing for the first time that the object of her studying was actually speaking to her. However, her thoughts were filled with too many important questions to really focus on what it was he had said. One thing was for certain, though. Things were different. After all, if he was speaking to her, she obviously wasn't dead. If she wasn't dead, then other things must have been changed too. The note must have worked. At least she prayed it had.

Folding his arms over his chest, her husband sighed completely frustrated with her. "How am I supposed to impress our investors if I can't even get my own wife to pay attention to me?"

"I'm sorry," Anne apologized, truly meaning it, for she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Then she realized what he had said, "Investors?"

Chris just looked at her for a moment before slowly answering, "Yeah, the investors. The ones I'm meeting with this afternoon to discuss our plans for the restaurant."

"Restaurant?" The woman questioned before she could stop herself.

"Yeah, the restaurant– Charmed. The one mom and I have been trying to get started for months now. What's the matter with you?"

Anne ignored him for the moment. Her thoughts were spinning in a thousand different directions. Things had decidedly changed. Chris and Piper had never even thought about opening a restaurant before. Chris had always been too preoccupied with his wiccan obligations, raising the kids and managing the club to even think about under taking another project.

"Anne?"

The woman shook her head, "Er, this may sound a bit odd to you, but how are Kyle, Jason and oh, my mum–she's ok, right?"

"Kyle's exhausted trying to juggle his whitelighter duties and helping Aunt Paige with Pearl. Jason just took over another radio station, and he and Phoebe are taking Melinda on a vacation to celebrate. Your mother is dating that gentleman from Wales she met on the cruise we sent her on for her birthday and seems happier than ever." Chris narrowed his eyes, "But you knew all that, so why are you asking? What's going on?"

"It worked," She breathed, tears springing to her eyes as the total relief washed over her. The utter joy and release of all the pain nearly made her crumble to the floor, but Chris caught her in his arms and guided her over to the sofa, his suspicion turning to worry for his wife.

Before he could ask her what she was talking about, Anne cupped his face in her hands and pulled him into a passionate kiss. When she pulled away, tears were slipping down her face. "I missed you so much. I thought I had lost you for good, but I didn't. You're here, and I'm here and everything is all right now. I fixed it."

"Fixed what? Baby, you aren't making any sense, and you're starting to scare me."

Anne swallowed, trying to settle down. After a moment, she answered, "Life. Our life. I fixed it. Everything was in ruins before. Jason and Kyle were dead. I was dead. You were completely batty, pushing everyone you loved away, me and the kids included, and you were ready to sacrifice yourself. I didn't even recognize you anymore. But then when I died, I was given a second chance, and I put that note in your jacket pocket warning you about Nyru, and it must have worked because we're alive and well."

"The note," Chris mono-toned. "That was you?"

"Yes."

"H-how?"

"It's all very complicated, but as I said, the Elders gave me a second chance, and I used it to warn you, and now everything is better. Right? I mean, you did vanquish Nyru?"

Chris nodded numbly, "Yeah, a year after we met, a week or so before Alex's wiccaning. It was then that everything changed. The Elders said that Ryak was the last great threat to good magic, and rewarded my family by bringing Prue back to life as Alex and Emma's whitelighter, being as I can't heal."

"That's so wonderful."

"You mean you don't remember any of this?" Chris asked, concerned.

Anne shook her head, "No. Just how things used to be."

"Andy!" Her husband bellowed. "Get your butt down here right now."

Orb lights formed a moment later taking the shape of one annoyed ex-detective. "You know what, Kid, I don't appreciate being treated like some sort of hired help. I'm a whitelighter, not your personal slave. You want me, you call my name. Simple as that."

"Hello, Andy, it's good to see you again," Anne greeted warmly.

"Hey," he responded back cordially. He turned his gaze back to Chris, "So what's this all about, Halliwell?"

"She doesn't remember her life," Chris answered. "She was the one to put the note in my jacket pocket all those years ago, but now she can't remember anything."

Anne cut in, "Wait, are you my whitelighter?"

"Yes, I am." Andy shared a worried look with her husband.

"But I thought I was only a future whitelighter if I chose to live with Terry and be a philanthropist? I picked Chris, so why are you still my whitelighter?"

"Whose Terry?" Chris asked.

Said whitelighter raised his eyebrows, "Oh boy. Uh, well, Anne, I'm not sure what you're talking about, but you are a future whitelighter, and so I am assigned to protect and guide you. It's all the work you do at the volunteer clinic and all the lives you've saved and will save as a doctor that's leading you to being a whitelighter."

"What exactly did you mean you picked me over Terry? I don't remember any Terry. Who is he? Did you love him?" The husband's voice was growing ever more agitated by the moment. "You don't still love him, do you?"

The wife laughed and shook her head, "Goodness no. I've never even met the man. He was just part of a life I never lived. It's all very complicated, but rest assured that you always have been and always will be the one true love of my life."

Chris visibly relaxed.

"So, I work at a volunteer clinic," Anne began, trying to refocus the discussion. "Do I have time for that?"

Chris took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Not really, but you always find a way to make the time. You've always said nothing is more important than saving lives. Didn't you do that in the life you remember?"

"No. It took me a lot longer to become a doctor because we were hunting for Nyru for so long, and by the time I became a doctor things were always so hectic, and you were busy managing the club, so we were both stretched trying to make sure someone was always with Alex and Emma, to make sure they were safe."

"We had Prue to watch over them this time, not to mention the threat wasn't as great to begin with," Chris explained to his wife. "After Nyru was vanquished the demonic activity lessened dramatically."

Orb lights filled the room and Alex formed along with a younger girl, about thirteen with long black hair and sharp blue eyes. The girl whined, "Come on Alex, you just gotta start letting me go on vanquishes with you."

"No way, Patty. It's too dangerous."

The girl, Patty, folded her arms over her chest. She turned to look at Andy, "Dad, tell him I can come."

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because you're way too young that's why."

Anne's eyes became saucers. This young girl was Andy's daughter? How was that possible? Unless. . . "You and Prue got back together?"

Andy grinned at her, "We both recognized a second chance when we saw it." He held up his left hand, revealing a shiny gold wedding band on his ring finger. "Sometimes the Elders do the right thing, and we get our happy ending."

"Mum, why'd you ask a silly thing like that?" Alex questioned. "Aunt Prue and Uncle Andy have been together forever."

The boy's mother couldn't think of a proper response, so Chris cut in, changing the subject, "Hey, Alex, I don't want you going to vanquish demons. It's a school night. Can't you, Wyatt and Chris just do normal teenager stuff for once?"

"Wyatt's got finals to study for, and Chris is out with Bianca. Again." Alex rolled his eyes, "It's sickening the way they're all over each other. I mean, she may be the hottest girl to have ever walked the planet, but I don't need to see my cousin sticking his tongue down her throat. Especially considering he's...well . . .you. It is just wrong on so many different levels. It's a wonder I don't need mass amounts of therapy just to cope."

The father rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Just go do your homework, ok?"

Alex mimicked his father's eye roll before heading into his room to work.

Patty sighed dramatically, "Now what am I gonna do for fun?"

"Melinda and Emma are going to the movies," Chris answered. "You could join them."

"Can I, Dad?" Patty asked, her big blue eyes batting up at her father.

Andy nodded and before he could even tell her goodbye, she orbed out, probably to get some money from her mother for the show.

"The kids know the truth about you?" Anne asked, surprised. In a slightly more disgusted tone, "And Chris is dating Bianca?"

Her husband nodded, ignoring her repulsion over the idea."Yeah, that's how the truth came out. Chris and Bianca met in the underworld during one of his demon hunts, and there was an immediate attraction despite the age gap. They started dating, and then one day he brought her home for the big family dinner and all hell broke loose. Mom dropped her casserole, Dad couldn't stop staring, Aunt Paige had to kick Aunt Phoebe to keep her from saying anything, and Chris of course noticed it all, and how I wasn't exactly reacting well to seeing my dead fiancee alive and well. He figured out I was hiding something, and in the end we had no choice but to tell them all the truth."

"Did Alex set the table on fire?"

Chris grinned, "Do that in your other life too?"

"Yeah. Nobody took the news real well, but from what I just heard, Alex seems to have gotten used to it to some degree this time."

Her partner nodded, "Yeah, it took a long time, but I think everyone has sort of accepted the fact that Chris and I, while we are the same person, aren't really the same. We both have different lives, different destinies."

Andy cut in, "I can't believe you don't remember anything about this life. It doesn't make any sense."

"Could you check with the Elders and see what they know about it? Please?" Chris asked.

The whitelighter nodded before orbing up there to see what he could uncover about his charge's missing memories.

Anne sighed, "Life seems pretty perfect. It's a shame I don't remember living it."

Chris wrapped his arm around his wife, pulling her into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Annie. We'll get your memories back. You will get to remember the life you helped create. I swear."

tbc. . .


	43. All Tied Up

Sorry this took soooooo long to get up. I just moved so I didn't have internet until recently, and I also have been working full time and trying to go to college --- ICK. Anywho, this is the last part for this story. I made it really long to make up for the long wait, and I hope you all enjoy what has been the longest story I've ever undertaken. I wouldn't have finished it without all your encouraging reviews. Thanks!

CHAPTER 43

**All Tied Up**

Curled up on the trusty old sofa in the attic of the Halliwell manor, Anne watched on as her husband telekinetically flipped through the pages of the sacred Book of Shadows. He had his arms folded over his chest, a pen dipping out from the corner of his mouth as he gestured with a couple fingers to turn the page until he found something he thought might be useful in restoring her memories, at which point he jotted down a few notes on a pad of paper he had resting next to the book on the old wood stand.

"Hey you two," a voice called out from the doorway.

Chris looked up, smiling at the new arrival, "Hey Aunt Prue."

"Find anything yet?" the dark haired woman asked, moving to stand next to him at the book. She glanced up at Anne, "How you feeling, Sweetie?"

Anne shrugged, "Things could be much worse. I am just relieved everyone is all right. Memories or no, I'm still happy."

Her husband looked up at her, his eyes locking on hers. "You will remember. I'll figure this out."

"I have no doubt about that," Anne said smiling.

"Ooh!" Prue pointed to the current entry, "You know if you mix this spell with the memory spell and add the power of three, it should work."

The nephew shook his head, "You can't mix this one with the memory spell. They call on two different elements. You cross them and they end up making someone lose their memory. It happened to Mom way back when."

"Yeah, if you don't combine them properly it'll do that, but I'm telling you it will work," Prue argued. "Here, just let me. . ." she swiped the pen from his hand and bent over his pad, furiously scribbling down a makeshift spell.

Chris opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it, opting instead to just roll his eyes and wait for her to finish. After a moment he bent over to get a look at what his Aunt was writing. Prue waved her hand at him to leave her be much like an annoyed parent to their young child.

Anne stifled a giggle at her husband's frustrated look.

Orb lights sifted down through the ceiling swirling into the form of Andy. He looked over to see Chris shaking his head at something Prue was writing, pointing out that one of the stresses in the second line was wrong. Andy smiled as his wife responded that she had known that, and had meant to do it and reminded him that she had been writing spells quite a long time before he was even a glimmer in his mother's eye. Her nephew responded that his actually worked, though. Andy raised his eyebrows and pulled a face, "You're a braver man than I, Chris."

"Andy," Prue smiled at her husband. "Hey. I was just teaching Chris a thing or two about winging a good spell."

Chris rolled his eyes, "I can wing a spell just fine on my own, thank you."

"If you say so," Prue replied, archly.

Anne, unfamiliar with this little ritual, cut in, "I'm sure both of you are excellent spell writers, and you both will come up with something absolutely brilliant to help me get my memories back as soon as possible."

Andy smiled at the peacemaker of the family, "It's ok, Anne. They're just giving each other a little healthy grief."

"Oh."

"So, what did the elders say?" Chris asked.

The whitelighter let out a breath, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, guys, but you won't be needing a spell. Her memories should start filling in as early as today. They'll come naturally," Andy turned to Anne, "you won't even really notice a difference."

"Well, that's wonderful news," Anne enthused. She turned to Chris, "See, no need to worry now, was there?"

"Worry about what?" Alex asked, flinging his book bag down next to the sofa as he entered the room.

"How was school?" Chris asked, deftly changing the subject.

Alex, not buying it, responded warily, "Good. How were things here?"

"Good," Chris answered.

"Good, then," the son added, narrowing his eyes at his parent.

"Very," the father agreed, folding his arms over his chest.

The two stood staring at one another for a moment. Alex, challenging his father, letting the man know under no uncertain terms that he knew something was up and was not about to drop the matter. Chris answered the challenge with his parental authority, letting his son know that under no uncertain terms would he tell Alex unless it was absolutely necessary.

Prue interrupted the showdown, "Ok, far too much testosterone in this room right now." She turned to Anne, "Piper's already started the big family dinner, wanna come down and help her get ready? Leave the boys to be boys?"

"Sure," Anne replied, shaking her head at her husband and son. Sometimes she was still amazed at how alike they were.

As Anne and Prue headed down the stairs, they ran into Emma and Patty. Patty was chasing Emma up the stairs calling out to give something back. Emma was giggling and running for dear life.

"Patty, no running in the house," Prue admonished.

"Emma give back whatever it is you took from poor Patty," Anne added.

Emma came to a skidding halt in front of her mother. She held out a tiny plastic ring with a fake pink flower on it. "Justin gave it to her. He's her boyfriend now."

"Is not," Patty argued.

Prue smiled at her daughter, "Is that true? Did a boy give you a ring?"

"Yeah, but he's just a stupid boy. I don't even like him."

"That's not what you told me," Anne replied without even thinking. "You said you fancied him quite a bit. Said you thought he had pretty eyes."

Emma's face grew into a big grin, "I knew it." She took off running down the hall again, singing, "Patty's got a boyfriend, Patty's got a boyfriend."

Patty took off after her, yelling, "I do _not_."

"I just remembered," Anne muttered in shock. She looked up at Prue, "It just came out my mouth without my even having realized. . ."

The former Charmed One smiled, "Guess the Elders were right for once."

Anne smiled in return, "I guess so."

That's when the heard something explode down below.

Prue ran full speed ahead to face whatever evil being had come to wreak havoc on their lives. Anne followed.

What they found was not some big bad come to ruin their lives. It was not the scene of another easy vanquish either. A messy one, though, perhaps. For, standing in the middle of the kitchen was Piper Halliwell, one of the most powerful witches in history, covered in some sort of blue goo.

"Oh, Piper, are you ok? What kind of demon was it?" Prue asked, worried.

The other woman flapped her arms dramatically, spraying the blue goo everywhere in the process, as she answered, "It's not demon guts. It's a potion."

"After all these years you're still messing up potions?" Prue asked, showing her amusement as she took in the sight of her cleanliness conscious sister dripping in unknown substance

Piper scrunched up her face and shook her head, "Very funny, Sis. But no. My _son_ is."

"Why was Wyatt making a potion?" Anne asked, tampering down her amusement at the sight of her usually intimidating mother-in-law looking so comical.

"Not Wyatt. Chris."

Both Prue and Anne were shocked to hear this. Normally, both Chrises were the best potion makers in the family. Those two were always concocting newer better vanquishing potions. The younger Chris was even coming up with a good luck potion based in Leprechaun gold powder that tasted of chocolate.

"I'm assuming the younger one, being as Christopher generally brews his potions at his own place," Prue guessed.

Piper nodded.

"Chris?" Anne questioned. "That doesn't make any sense. He's just as good as my husband with his potions. What happened?"

"It's Bianca," the mother explained exasperated. "He's so caught up with that...that..." she caught the look her older sister was shooting her and opted to change her word choice, "girl, that he's completely neglecting everything else. His grades aren't as good, he doesn't spend as much time with his friends, and now, now, he's letting his wiccan obligations slide. He forgot the potion on the burner, and that's why it exploded. All over _me._"

Orb lights filtered into the kitchen, taking the shape of The Twice Blessed. He moved to the fridge, took out the milk, placed the jug on the counter, went to fetch a cup and froze as he spotted his mother. His eyes grew wide and for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching between a smile and a frown as he fought off the laughter.

His mother rolled her eyes, "I'm glad everyone finds this so funny."

"Finds what so funny?" Alex asked, as he and his father entered the kitchen, obviously having finished their battle of wills. The boy stopped in his tracks at the sight, and his father nearly tripped over him. "Oh. My. Gosh. Grandma, what the heck happened to you?"

The woman narrowed her eyes and pointed at the boy's father, who was standing in shock behind his son, blinking slowly at the sight of his mother dripping in unknown substance. "You. I blame you."

"Me? I didn't do anything," Christopher defended himself raising his hands.

"No, but your past self did and since he isn't here, I'm blaming you," Piper explained.

Wyatt shook his head, "Poor Uncle Christopher. Always getting the bad rap for my twerp of a brother."

"I _am_ that twerp, so watch it."

The Twice Blessed shook his head, "I'm not going to lie, that's still weird."

Alex rolled his eyes, "Yeah, trying dealing with the fact you're so lame that your best friends are your father and your uncle."

"Yeah, you are lame," Wyatt agreed, laughing as his so-called cousin glared at him.

Christopher moved toward his irate mother. He looked carefully at the goo, "What is this exactly?"

"Potion that Chris forgot on the stove."

"Sorry," the future version apologized. "I can fix it, though."

"Then do so," Piper ordered gesturing for him to get on with it. "I've got two pans of lasagna in the oven and garlic bread too. If we want dinner anytime soon, you'll get me un-blue."

"May the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen," Christopher chanted.

Bright white lights enveloped Piper and when they dissolved she was just as clean as she had been before the potion had wreaked havoc on her. She shook her head at her son, "I had been hoping for a non-magical solution, Christopher."

"You didn't say that though, did you?"

"I really should know better by now, shouldn't I?" his mother lamented.

Prue nodded, "Yeah, I knew better after just three years of trying to get Pheobe to stop using magic for personal gain."

The timer on the counter went off, signaling that dinner was ready. Immediately, all thoughts of blue goo were gone, and Piper went to fetch her dinner from the oven, setting it on top of the range and going to fetch her serving ware. Everyone else just took their place at the table, eager to taste the Charmed One's cooking.

"Andy, dinner," Prue yelled up for her husband.

The former detective showed up a few moments later, Emma, and Patty following behind him. Each took their seat at the table.

As the table grew more crowded, Christopher turned to Anne, "Are you sure about dinner tonight? Not gonna be overwhelmed? We can always get some to go."

"I think it'll be nice," his wife answered. "I've always loved the big family dinners. Besides, maybe it'll hurry my memories along."

Her husband smiled warmly at her, putting his hand over hers on the table and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Mmm, I smell lasagna," Leo commented as he came into the kitchen, holding a large brown bag, which he placed on the counter. Then going over to the chef, he gave her a chaste kiss hello.

"You got the wine?" His wife asked.

"Would I forget?" Leo responded smiling. "I even got sparkling juice for the kids."

Wyatt perked up, "I love sparkling juice."

"And _I'm_ the lame one," Alex muttered shaking his head.

"I heard that."

"Good."

The front door was heard being slammed shut. A moment later Jason Phoebe and Melinda came in, Pheobe holding one tin of brownies and Melinda the other. The girls placed them on the counter next to the wine. Phoebe then moved to hug her sisters hello. "Oh, you guys, I missed you."

"You were only gone a couple weeks," Prue said, secretly pleased her grown up baby sister still missed her when they were apart for a while.

Phoebe sat down next to Prue, Jason sat next to her and Melinda took the seat next to Andy and across from Wyatt.

Piper looked at the clock, "Well, Paige is late. Again." She looked over to her time traveling son, "Will she ever be on time?"

"Future consequences."

"I should blow you up for that."

Christopher merely smiled, "But you love me now, so you can't."

"Oh that's what you think," she warned.

Leo patted his son on the back, as he took the seat next to Christopher's, "Trust me, Buddy, that excuse does _not_ work."

Piper then got to work cutting up the garlic bread and dishing up the lasagna, which she then handed off to her family sitting at the table. Once everyone was all set with food, she grabbed the wine and sparkling juice and set them on the table, seating herself next to Leo.

Orb lights filtered down through the ceiling forming into the Brody family. Paige looked exhausted, large bags under her eyes, but she also glowed with a happiness that Anne hadn't seen in the woman before. The reason for said happiness was sleeping in a car seat that Kyle was currently holding.

Kyle went and sat next to Leo, immediately asking about how things were going 'up there' since he had taken a leave from the heavens in order to help out with Pearl. Leo smiled and started filling him in on all his charges while rocking the car seat that was between them gently with his foot.

Paige smiled at her big sister, "Piper, I know I'm late, but you can't be mad because it's not my fault. Pearl needed a changing."

"You are forgiven," Piper answered, rising and hugging her sister in welcome.

Paige took a seat across from Christopher, "So, how goes everything with the new restaurant?"

"Fine, I think," Christopher answered.

"Good," She turned to Anne, "how is the memory thing coming along?"

Anne shrugged, "It's all right, I suppose. I remembered something about Patty...it just sort of popped out of my mouth without my thinking about it."

Her husband turned to look at her, "You didn't say that."

"It just happened."

"Well, that's great," he smiled, though his eyes didn't quite light up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Anne raised an eyebrow at him, "I know you better than that. You're worried aren't you?"

Pursing his lips, Chris sighed, looking down at his plate. "I just don't want you to get overwhelmed by all the changes. Your mind is going to be going through a lot of change. . .that's why time travel is so risky."

"You think I'm going to go batty?"

"No."

Alex, who was on the other side of his mother, caught that part of the conversation and asked, "Wait, you never said Mum could get hurt. You said you were going to start treating me like an adult now. You promised. So if something is going to happen to Mum you need to tell me so I can help."

Anne grinned at her spouse, "You let him win?"

"Every boy needs to win a battle of wills with their old man once in a while," Christopher shrugged. "Besides, I figured he'd eventually figure it out anyway so there really was no protecting him from it."

Emma's ears perked up at the other end of the table, "What's going on with Mum?"

"Nothing," Alex lied. "She's just got a touch of a headache, that's all. Nothing for a kid like you to worry yourself about."

Christopher rolled his eyes, "Great, now it's gone to his head."

Emma pulled a face at her brother, "I'm not a kid."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Wyatt, who was stuck between the two siblings held up his hands, "Ok, I'm going to mute you both if you don't knock it off."

"Can you do that?" Emma asked biting off a piece of bread.

Patty nodded, "He's all powerful, Em. He can do whatever he wants."

Melinda shook her head, "Not whatever. We all have rules, and muting them would be personal gain, wouldn't it Mom?"

"Yup, 'fraid so, Wyatt," Phoebe agreed before eating a fork full of lasagna.

The Twice Blessed snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

After several moments of silence as all dug into their perfect meal, Christopher finally noticed something distinctly wrong with the traditional family meal. Turning to his parents he asked worriedly, "Where is Chris?"

Leo put his hand on Piper's shoulder to stop the snappy reply she had and answered, "He's having dinner with Bianca's family tonight instead. Apparently her grandparents are in town and wanted to meet Chris."

Christopher's eyes grew wide, "What?"

"They seem awfully serious," Anne commented, not sure what to think about the situation. "Then again, she is a lot older than him, she could be looking for something more serious."

"She not that much older," Christopher defended, then shook his head, realizing how childish he sounded, and how invalid the point was considering what he knew. "That's not the point. Bianca doesn't have any family. Besides her mom, I mean. He lied to you. Chris isn't where he said he is."

Piper looked livid, "What do you mean? Where the hell is he then?"

"Stop having a meltdown," the boy in question answered as he came into the kitchen looking the worse for wear. His hair was sticking up in all directions and was covered in dust, his face was dirty as well, smudges of blood on one cheek, his new green shirt was ripped with claw marks and his jeans were had a hole in the knee that Piper was fairly certain hadn't been there previously. "I'm home, alive, and I just want some food, so could we please skip the whole, you lied to us thing and get to the oh-my-god-what-happened-to-you-are-you-okay thing?"

"Don't you take that tone with me, Mister," Piper started, "where the hell have you been and what happened to you?"

"Okay, so I did lie. I wanted to take Bianca to a party tonight, instead. However, when we got there, the demon I've been tracking was waiting for us. He was a little pissed off and without the vanquishing potion I was um...taken to the underworld and got kicked around a bit." He turned away and dished up some dinner, "Long story short, my clothes got ruined, I got hurt, and worst of all my girlfriend had to come save my ass."

Piper was about to go off on another tirade but a look from Leo silenced her. It seemed the boy's father felt he had learned his lesson. The mother didn't, but she also didn't want to ruin dinner. So, she stayed her tempered and bit down into a piece of garlic bread to keep quiet.

"Do you need any healing, Buddy?" Leo asked as Chris sat down across from Anne.

"No."

"Is Bianca ok?"

"Yeah," Chris answered. "Not a scratch."

Leo nodded, "Then I guess you got lucky this time, huh?"

The son rolled his eyes, "Yeah, guess so." Muttering under his breath, "would've been fine if I would've had that damn potion with me."

Christopher heard him and said, "You would have had it with you if you weren't so distracted by your new girlfriend, Chris. You realize you left it on the burner all afternoon? It exploded."

"I did?" Chris asked, clearly not remembering doing so. "I swore I took it off right when. . .oh."

"Let me guess, Bianca called?" Christopher supplied.

His younger counterpart closed his eyes in shame, "I can't believe I did that. If it had been a different potion. . ."

". . .It could have exploded in a whole different way," his uncle finished again. Taking pity on, well, essentially himself, the older man continued, "I get that you're crazy in love and that everything is secondary right now, but you've got to remember that your first priority is always, always, always to your witch craft. . ."

Wyatt whispered to Alex, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Alex snickered.

". . .remember, with great power comes great responsibility," Christopher finished. He frowned as both Wyatt and Alex burst out laughing. He folded his arms over his chest, "Ok, what'd I miss?"

Patty rolled her eyes and turned to Paige, "Did he watch a lot of Spiderman growing up?"

"Yeah, blame Jason."

Jason shrugged, "It was a good movie. I didn't know I showed it to both Chrises. And I don't think we watched it all that much."

"Honey," Phoebe grinned, "you got him so hooked he could quote it."

Melinda giggled, "I remember when Chris was little he used to dress up in the outfit all the time and run around pretending to shoot webbing out his wrists."

Both Chrises started blushing fiercely.

Anne turned to her husband, "Aaww, you never told me that. I bet you were the most adorable Spider Man ever."

"This is so not cool," both Chrises moaned.

It was at this point that the entire table seemed to erupt into conversation at once. Wyatt and Alex teasing the younger Chris mercilessly for his childhood obsession. Chris getting them both back by reminding Alex of his Superman phase and Wyatt about his obsession with the blue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, which Wyatt held no shame for, saying his was actually cool.

Patty and Emma began discussing Halloween costumes. Patty wanted to go as a witch, which Emma thought was stupid considering she was one. Emma wanted to go as warrior princess.

Kyle, Jason Andy and Leo started talking about sports.

The Charmed Ones were engaged in a discussion about little Pearl. Piper, Phoebe and Prue were warning Paige about how fast they grow up, and how as a mom you have to treasure each and every phase of their lives, taking lots and lots of video– Piper insisted. Paige just wanted to know when she'd be able to sleep through a night again.

Anne listened intently, feeling more at ease and more at peace than she had in a very long time. This was the way things were supposed to be. One big happy family. Sure, demons still were going to cause problems, Chris' incident highlighting that fact, but they still were a family. Everyone was alive and happy and healthy. Best of all, she was responsible. Out of everyone here, little mortal that she was, she saved the day and fixed things.

Christopher leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Everything okay?"

She turned to look into those same green eyes that had captured her heart all those years before and thought on all the things they had been through together, all the hardships and trials, all the pain, and then with memories she barely recognized as being altered saw all the joy and all the love, the moments that made life worth living– family food fights with their kids, vacations, soft touches, loving looks, the laughter of her son and daughter, her volunteer work.

With teary eyes, Anne answered, "This is what perfect feels like. Life is like a present all tied up in a pretty red ribbon. It's a present where everyone gets what they deserve–Paige and Kyle have a beautiful little girl, Jason and Phoebe are together and Melinda seems to have straightened out, Piper and Leo are just as happy and in love as ever, Prue and Andy got to live the life they earned, everyone is ok with the truth about you, Emma has a best friend in Patty, Wyatt is studying to be a doctor, I've got my new clinic with my clients, and you and Piper have the club and the restaurant, Bianca and Chris finished the destiny you never got to with a love that's fated, but you and I. . .our life is amazing, isn't it? We love each other, and we've got two amazing kids. Can you picture anything better?"

Christopher shook his head, "No. I can't." And with that, he softly kissed her.

This may not have been what life was supposed to be like for the two lovers. Fate may have had other plans for Christopher and Anne. He could have returned to the future, while she married Terry and had a different kind of life. However, life has many paths, with many loose ends that can guide people to take a road less traveled, and lead to the perfect life they, in the end, created for themselves.


End file.
